In chapter 2, there’s mention of 12대 중과실, a list of 12 major traffic offenses (like ignoring signes, crossing solid lines, etc.).
If a driver causes bodily injuries, they can avoid criminal prosecution if they are covered by a comprehensive insurance or if they reach a settlement with the victim. However, if the accident was caused by any of these 12 offenses, then the driver will face criminal liability regardless of assurance or settlement.
| Word | Reading | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 중과실 | 重過失 | gross negligence |
| 스키드마크 | skid mark (rubbery mark left on the road by tires when sudden breaking) |
I started an IT yesterday, everything went very smoothly (cleared about half or 1/3 of it, I don’t remember where I left exactly). I’m confident I’ll be able to clear with all the flowers this time!
The elements are much better for me this time, I hope I’ll have time to continue the run today!
Finished chapter 2, and I read about the bus hijacking case of 1998 in Taipei, several details of the novel are very close to the real case, though it’s fiction of course.
So the novel is inspired by two real cases, the Qiandao Lake Incident of 1994 and the Taipei bus hijacking of 1998.
| Word | Reading | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 刺青 | cì qīng | a tattoo |
| 大哥大 | dà gē dà | cell phone (bulky, early-model one); brick phone |
Just started 困獸之鬥, and it’s a spy novel!! I didn’t know, I actually didn’t know anything about the book when I bought it, just that it was one of the three winners of the first 謎團小說獎 for novels based on true Taiwan criminal cases.
I just read the first chapter and loved it! First time reading a spy novel in Chinese too.
千島湖事件: Qiandao Lake incident
In 1994, three men hijacked and set fire to a boat, the 海瑞號, on Qiandao Lake, Zhejiang, killing all the passengers: 24 passengers from Taiwan and 8 Chinese crew members and guides.
The problem is that the Chinese government mishandled the investigation, censoring information and blocking the media in an attempt to cover-up the case. Chinese local government even said it was a ship fire, while Taiwan claimed the attack was orchestred by soldiers from the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
The case created outrage in Taiwan and severely damaged relations between the two countries.
In our novel, Li Wu-hsiung acquired classified Chinese documents on the case that he handed back to Taiwan, thus gaining his promotion as Major.
The novel says he handed the documents to the 特情室, but my understanding was that this unit was merged in 1985 with another unit to become the 軍情局, so he should have reported to the 軍情局 in 1994?
So I probably got everything mixed up… oh well, I got the big picture, that’s enough to enjoy the novel.
My understanding, though this might be wrong:
特情室 is short for 國防部特種情報室 Special Intelligence Office of the Ministry of National Defense, a highly secretive military intelligence unit in Taiwan during the Cold War era (can’t find much info on it, doesn’t have a wikipedia page). It merged with another unit (國防部情報局) in 1985 to become:
軍情局 short for 國防部軍事情報局 (Military Intelligence Bureau, Ministry of National Defense), Taiwan current military intelligence agency.
So Li Wu-hsiung was recruited by the Special Intelligence Office, and now works as Major in the Military Intelligence Bureau.
Oh and 特工 means secret service or special agent.
Finished chapter 2. The story is so intriguing… I’m loving 変な地図 as much as the other novels so far!
Looking for my next Chinese read, I found something interesting: a contest for fictions inspired by a real criminal cases in Taiwan. The contest is called 謎團小說獎 and hosted by O.H.S.I.R. (重大歷史懸疑案件調查辦公室 - The Office of Historical Suspense Investigation & Research).
The three winners of the contest get a financial prize and a publication. It looks like the prize is very young, running for the fourth time this year?
I’m not really into true crime, so I haven’t spent much time on their website (and it opens a pop-up add on every page, which is really annoying), but I’m interested in the fictional works. There are three editions so far, with three winners all getting a publication, so 9 books to read so far! Maybe I’ll give it a try, starting with the first ones.
I’m really loving the series, I like how, in episodes 4 and 5, secondary characters have been given more screen time and a more important place in the plot. Makes the series more interesting!
| Word | Reading | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 集落 | しゅうらく | settlement; village; community; town |
| 鑿 | のみ | chisel |
| 金槌 | かなづち | hammer |
| 麓 | ふもと | foot (of a mountain or hill) |
| 抜擢 | ばってき | exceptional promotion |
| 断層 | だんそう | fault |
I’m still unsure who I’m going to choose for the next and last constellations. So far I chose Xiao, Hu Tao and Ganyu, and now I’m torn between Shenhe and Baizhu. The thing is that I’m using Baizhu more than Shenhe, but I prefer Shenhe over Baizhu.
So for now I selected Shenhe…
I don’t know what I’m going to read next in Chinese. I’m going to read something else first before continuing with Yen Yu’s novels. I could choose something from the 2026 Readmoo Reading challenge or one of the winners/finalists of the Soji Shimada Mystery Award as it’s one of the awards I’m following. Or just browse Readmoo and see what piques my interest…
| Word | Reading | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 自告奋勇 | zì gào fèn yǒng | to volunteer for; to offer to undertake |
| 菜肴 | cài yáo | vegetable and meat dishes; dish |
Malatang are just the best thing because they let you choose your degree of spice degree 
Though sometimes, 1 is just right, and sometimes it feels crazy spicy. 0,5 is always the safe pick!
For some reason I’m always lacking time for this book… sometimes it happens that you absolutely love a book, and you feel like you could finish it in one sitting if you had time, but you don’t.
Anyway, I’m really loving the story and it reads very easily like Uketsu’s other books.
