[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rising-in-1979":3,"chapter-rising-in-1979-rising-in-1979-chapter-470":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Rising in 1979",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2261178,4412,"Chapter 470: Wei Ming and Bai Baoshan","rising-in-1979-chapter-470",470,"\u003Cp>Siqin Gao wa, as a military child raised on the vast grasslands, could drink under no one’s shadow—not even Wei Ming or Tang Guoqiang—and had the bold spirit of a tigress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was born in 1950; Tang Guoqiang had to call her sister. Seeing two pale, tender-faced younger brothers, she was in high spirits—until she took the script and frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t understand it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not understanding is fine—I can explain it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Siqin Gao wa waved her hand: “No, thanks. The director and crew are all from Hong Kong, and the co-stars speak Cantonese—I can’t even communicate with them. How can I feel anything during filming?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t expected her to refuse—afraid of the hassle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Guoqiang sipped a mouthful of Maotai and smiled: “You’re afraid going to Guangdong to shoot will make Lao Ao unhappy, aren’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m afraid he’ll be unhappy?” Siqin Gao wa’s voice shot up, then dropped lower. “I’m afraid my daughter misses me too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming thought this was just an excuse—she’d left home for months during past shoots; it was just the nature of the job.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Siqin, have you heard of Miss Xia Meng’s company’s last film, ‘Fleeing to the Sea’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Siqin Gao wa shook her head while cracking broad beans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: “I went to Hong Kong a few days ago to present the Golden Horse Awards. That film won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay—multiple major awards. It’s unquestionably the biggest winner. That’s the hallmark of Qingniao Company’s work: deep humanistic concern. In Hong Kong, where commercial films flood the market, it’s easy to win awards. The Golden Horse is currently Hong Kong’s most authoritative award. If you win Best Actress…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming paused. Tang Guoqiang immediately slapped his thigh in sync: “That’d be huge—South Gong Shu, North Zhu Lin, Liu Xiaoqing, Li Xiuming…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming and Siqin Gao wa both stared at Tang Guoqiang. “Go on. Keep going.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Guoqiang realized he’d slipped—he could joke about Liu Xiaoqing and Li Xiuming since they were close friends, but he wasn’t that close to Gong Shu or Zhu Lin. Worse, rumors said Wei Ming was romantically involved with Gong Shu; others claimed it was Zhu Lin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Guoqiang immediately downed his glass, pretending nothing had been said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing, he reached for the bottle—it was empty. To his surprise, Wei Ming pulled out another bottle of Rémy Martin from his bag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Try this foreign liquor—I brought it back from Hong Kong. There’s an ad line that says it well: ‘When Rémy Martin opens, good things follow.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Guoqiang added: “Hong Kong’s a great place, Sister Siqin. If you take this film, going to Hong Kong won’t be hard at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After an hour of drinking and chatting, Wei Ming helped Tang Guoqiang leave Siqin Gao wa’s home—just as her daughter returned from school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the guest was Teacher Wei Ming, she asked him to sign two autographs: one for “Wei Something” from “The Lion King,” and one for “Wei Ming” from “Beasts of the Wild.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After leaving the No. 1 Film Studio compound, Wei Ming immediately telegraphed Xia Meng in Hong Kong: “She’s intrigued. Please send the Mandarin script as soon as possible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Siqin Gao wa had softened—Wei Ming’s story was compelling, but everyone knew the great writer’s prose was superb, and his storytelling surpassed many directors. Who knew how good the actual script would be? She needed to read it herself before deciding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, Wei Ming rode his motorcycle to the Sihe Academy in Nánluógǔxiàng, inspected the courtyard walls. Most were just one face of a sloped-roof house—extremely tall and impossible to climb unless you were a flying thief with qinggong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a short stretch was a pure wall—but even that was four meters high, which Wei Ming had raised himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So climbing the wall was nearly impossible. Picking locks was far more practical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming then turned to the main gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gate was wooden but solid—recently replaced during renovation. Only the lock could be targeted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This lock was a full-steel German brand Wei Ming had bought himself from Friendship Store, no intermediaries involved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d specifically asked Feng Ge to test it. Feng Ge could easily open ordinary locks—he claimed he learned from a retired veteran in the military—but he struggled for a long time and couldn’t open this one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, Wei Ming had only replaced locks at Beichi and this courtyard. The Houhai courtyard, bought later, still had its original locks—he’d planned to upgrade them during renovation, assuming better new locks would be available then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, even the strongest lock could be broken by brute force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if someone was home and had locked it from the inside, security improved further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming opened the door—it was designed so that once locked from within, unless the door was violently smashed, no one could get in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Wei Ming wasn’t reassured. He looked at the outer courtyard. A female guard would help—but such things weren’t fashionable yet. Money alone couldn’t buy it; too many social concerns stood in the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he left Nánluógǔxiàng, the sun was directly overhead. Only when he reached the main street did he spot the streetlamp poles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the sun, then the lamps, Wei Ming suddenly had an idea—he knew how to reduce the chance of this courtyard being targeted by burglars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Home invasions usually happened at night, especially the late hours, because thieves avoided light. Daylight meant heavy foot traffic, people everywhere—hard to strike, harder to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they couldn’t stand the light, what if the entrance was brightly lit—even at night? When they tried to break in and saw all that illumination, they’d likely grow nervous, unable to focus on forcing the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Wei Ming had a plan—he’d discuss it with Lao Wei. This required coordination with the neighborhood committee, and he’d have to be the one to approach them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back home, his parents weren’t there. Wei Ming took out his notebook and wrote for a while on the Hong Kong film script.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At five p.m., his mother returned with a vegetable basket. As she started cooking, Lao Wei came home with another basket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Shufen was puzzled: “Why are you buying vegetables too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t buy them—they were given to me,” Lao Wei said proudly. Wei Ming came out and heard him: “I ran into Brother Bu. He bought a Sihe Academy in Dazhalan and sometimes stays there. He also sells greenhouse vegetables in the city. I told him about the break-in and warned him to change his lock. He insisted on giving me these vegetables as thanks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the past two winters, their vegetables came either from their hometown or from Sijiqing Commune—mostly from Bu Dachun. They were well acquainted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Bu finally listened to his son and bought a Sihe Academy in the city,” Wei Ming smiled. “Did he ask you to sell him your motorcycle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Wei now rode the motorcycle Wei Ming had previously owned—the one bought from Bu Dachun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He didn’t say anything,” Lao Wei replied. “But he said he plans to buy a car soon. He said his son’s making a fortune in America. Ha! Talking big—he thinks his son can match mine?” Lao Wei beamed. He’d never lost a comparison with his son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Shufen smiled and reminded him: “Don’t gloat. Didn’t you forget you had something to tell your son?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, right, right,” Lao Wei said. “Almost forgot the main thing. The bicycle’s been recovered—I left it at Beichi. The thief’s been caught too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Already?!” Wei Ming was stunned. In this era, without surveillance systems or ID networks, arrest rates were terrible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Wei chuckled: “Funny coincidence. He’d already been arrested earlier—the bike just hadn’t been claimed. As soon as I reported it, they returned it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That explained it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Wei added: “I’ll reinforce the Beichi courtyard again. I’ll get Yinxing to buy a dog—two dogs. There’s too much valuable stuff there. Security needs upgrading. I won’t even mention my antiques—there’s a big color TV inside too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do thieves steal TVs too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course they do! That thief who stole your bike? He stole bikes, TVs, outer tires, wheels, even raided factory warehouses—stole thousands in goods. Officer Xiao Yang said he’ll get at least several years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming thought it might be more than just a few years. The crackdown was coming soon. He’d just been caught, sentencing would take time—possibly coinciding with the need for a high-profile example. He might get ten years or more, then be sent to Shihezi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Yang also said he’ll probably be sent to Shihezi Prison,” Lao Wei shook his head. “Too bad for his old mother, wife, and kids. Heard he has twins—boy and girl. Twins! What a blessing. Too bad he’s such a father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twins?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming’s heart jolted. Could it be that coincidental?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dad, how old is this thief?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just over twenty. Married two years ago, had his kids last year. By the time he gets out, his kids won’t recognize him.” Lao Wei had dug up every detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming: Holy shit—he’s the right age too!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where’s he from? Beijing local?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, from Shijingshan. He and his wife both work at Shijingshan No. 1 Carbon Plant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming’s mouth slightly opened—the workplace matched too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Lao Wei knew so much—even the workplace—Wei Ming had to ask: “Do you know his name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh no, I can’t say that. Xiao Yang said he’s already broken rules telling me this much. Told me not to blab.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve already blabbed this much—what’s one more name?” Wei Ming pressed. “I know a reader from the carbon plant—similar situation. I’ll check if it’s him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, really? His name is Bai Baoshan. He’s your reader?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, Bai Baoshan? No, my reader’s name is Zhang Wei. Scared me half to death.” Wei Ming patted his chest—though he’d genuinely been startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Baoshan. Unbelievable. The future “Number One Criminal Case of China in 1997,” “Third Greatest Criminal Case in the World,” captured only after tens of thousands of police operations, robbed over a million yuan in cash, murdered fifteen police and civilians—a super violent killer—was the man who stole his bicycle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His judgment was correct: he was eventually sentenced to fourteen years, sent to Shihezi Prison, later reduced by one year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming knew this man too well. That’s why the mention of twins made him instantly uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only had he read “China’s Criminal Case No. 1,” but later he’d planned to make a police-perspective film on the Bai Baoshan case. He’d researched extensively, interviewed many witnesses—until new TV regulations banned such content from prime time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Wei Ming knew Bai Baoshan had already developed antisocial tendencies during his first sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he didn’t immediately turn evil after release—he said, “If I can live a normal life, I won’t commit crimes again. If I can’t, I’ll rob.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, harassed during household registration, struggling to reintegrate, wife divorced, children refused to recognize him—he returned to murder, gun theft, robbery, and killing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wei Ming believed: even without harassment, even if society accepted him, if his income couldn’t support a life of great wealth, he’d still walk that path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, during his imprisonment, he’d cunningly killed and buried two fellow inmates—undetected, and even earned a year off his sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could such a man ever become an obedient civilian after release?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dad, does this thief know he stole Zhu Lin’s bicycle?” Wei Ming suddenly asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not. But most officers know now—they’re all her fans. That’s why they worked so fast and returned the bike today. Otherwise, you’d still be waiting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Ming frowned. He thought of the officers’ loose lips telling his father everything—could it be that Bai Baoshan had already learned this connection?\u003C\u002Fp>",1959,"2026-06-19T16:30:59.356Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","088df1c947386ae790bb3bb0b2effaf6d8f2b41b300b3c7d45e4aa4ec081ba23","rising-in-1979-chapter-471","rising-in-1979-chapter-469",509,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frising-in-1979-cover.jpg"]