Chapter 434: The Difficulties of the Elderly

From their seated positions, it was clear that the two men were equals, not in a hostage situation. Chief Yan calmly asked, “Gentlemen, can you tell me what’s going on? Why are you resorting to this?”

“You tell him.”

“No, you tell him.”

“You should tell him.”

“Alright, I’ll explain.” Wang, the man with the gun pointed at his head, took a sip of the liquor. “Yesterday, I received a handgun. I used to be in the army, so I knew it was real, and it had bullets. I told Liu that we should use it to commit suicide together. We drew lots, and Liu lost, so he’s supposed to shoot me first and then himself.”

Liu took a sip of the liquor, “I’m just unlucky. If Wang had lost, he would’ve shot by now. I’m terrified holding the gun, and I can’t bring myself to pull the trigger.”

“Come on, just do it. I’ve been sitting here for an hour.”

“The police are here. If I shoot, they’ll arrest me, and you’ll get off easy.”

“The police won’t rush in. Just shoot me, and then yourself. It’s that simple.”

“It’s easy for you to say. My hands are shaking too much. I need a break.”

They continued to discuss, each sentence making Chief Yan nearly laugh. He said, “Gentlemen, I understand. Legally, this is a suicide pact. But I don’t understand why you feel you need to die. You seem to be fine.”

“Fine? We’re anything but fine,” Liu said. “I have late-stage leukemia, and he has lung cancer. We’ve sold our homes and are in debt for medical bills, but we still need tens of thousands for surgery. Our kids are exhausted from caring for us. We don’t want to burden them anymore, so we decided on euthanasia. Please, go deal with real criminals.”

Wang waved his hand dismissively, “Just let us die in peace. After we’re gone, take the gun, and do whatever with our bodies. It doesn’t matter.”

Chief Yan replied, “I see you’ve thought it through. But if you die like this, your children will suffer. People will talk, saying they didn’t take care of their fathers, forcing them to commit suicide. They’ll be shamed and might never recover. You think dying will end the burden, but it’ll only cause more problems.”

Wang said, “We don’t have much time left anyway. Why drag our kids down? They have mortgages, car loans, and kids to raise. We can’t waste all the money on our treatments.”

Liu added, “Yes, the money issue is huge. Our situation makes it a massive problem. Dying seems easier.”

“Just shoot already!”

“My hand’s numb. I need a break,” Liu said, taking another sip of the liquor, grimacing at the taste.

Behind the rooftop door, the police whispered, “What a bizarre situation.”

Lin Qiupu said, “Don’t judge. They must have their reasons.”

Zhang commented, “I think euthanasia should be legalized.”

Chief Yan said, “Gentlemen, drinking like this isn’t good for your stomachs. It’s almost lunchtime. How about I get you some food? Whether you shoot or not, at least eat first, okay?”

Liu asked Wang, “You think the police would drug our food?”

“They wouldn’t do that,” Wang reassured. “Alright, please do.”

Chief Yan radioed, “Get some food up here.”

Lin Qiupu arranged for some chicken legs, peanuts, and meatballs to be brought up. Meanwhile, Chief Yan kept chatting with the two men to build trust.

When the food arrived, Lin Qiupu quietly asked Chief Yan, “Should we act now?”

“No, the safety’s on. It’s too risky.”

Lin Qiupu brought the food over. Wang, wary, said, “Just leave it there.” He then fetched the food and shared it with Liu.

While eating, Liu placed the gun nearby. Though close, rushing for it would be dangerous. Providing food and drink was a negotiation tactic to lower their guard and build trust. Eating also tends to make people more rational.

The two men enjoyed their meal, making the watching officers envious.

After eating, Liu said, “Thank you, officers. Truly serving the people…” He then told Wang, “Why don’t you shoot? I can’t do it. You were in the army.”

Wang shook his head, “You’re so indecisive. We agreed, whoever drew the lot would shoot. Plus, I’m a Buddhist; killing sends you to hell.”

“That’s nonsense. You enjoyed the chicken legs just now. We agreed; it doesn’t count as murder!”

“Stop stalling. Shoot! We’ve eaten and drunk, it’s time to go. Let’s be brothers in the next life.”

Chief Yan interrupted, “Do you know how disfigured a bullet to the face will make you? The caliber is big; you’ll lose half your face. Imagine your children seeing that.”

Liu sighed, “Officer, I know you mean well, but our problem can’t be solved. We must die.”

“Yes, we must,” Wang echoed.

“I think…” Liu suddenly pressed the gun to his temple, “we should both go. I’ll shoot myself first, then you follow. That’s fair!”

“Damn it,” Lin Qiupu muttered.

Chief Yan also tensed, urgently saying, “Liu, that’s not fair! Didn’t you have an agreement?”

Wang said, “Right, it’s not fair. You’re supposed to kill me first, then yourself. You can’t just save yourself and leave me to be arrested. That’s not right.”

Liu tearfully said, “I can’t bring myself to kill!”