Ji Dashun and Song Hongyu were processed and taken into custody; all four suspects were now in our hands. To ensure a clean operation, I decided we would transport the prisoners out that very night. The Ministry of Public Security's protocols were clear: when outside law enforcement makes an arrest, local police must cooperate. But I knew I couldn't risk alerting the Suilu City Public Security Bureau about our operation.
These situations were all too familiar. Fugitives in murder cases were high-value targets, and capturing them meant claiming significant credit. Arresting criminals on Suilu's territory felt like stepping into a territorial dispute. They would absolutely want to detain the suspects—and they had a point. These criminals had lived in Suilu City for a decade; surely there would be local crimes to investigate.
We intentionally avoided using a prison van to minimize attention. The four suspects, hooded and restrained, were packed into a minibus, with two additional vehicles carrying Deng Liqun and Song Hongyu's brother. We rotated driving duties, keeping the vehicles moving while the team rested. When exhaustion threatened to overwhelm us, we resorted to an old trick: eating fiery chili peppers to stay sharp.
As dawn broke, we stopped at a gas station to refuel. The special operations team carefully escorted the suspects to separate restrooms. Zhen Zhen accompanied Song Hongyu to the women's facilities, while I guided Deng Ligang towards the men's room. Through a small opening in her hood, Song Hongyu caught sight of Deng Ligang's distinctive shoes.
"Husband, I'm here," she called out.
Deng Ligang froze at the sound of her voice.
"This lifetime wasn't enough with you," Song Hongyu continued, her voice trembling. "In the next, I'll be your wife again."
Zhen Zhen responded quickly, driving her elbow into Song Hongyu hard enough to stifle her words.
"Being with me is a dead end," Deng Ligang said flatly.
"From the moment we're born, we're all walking towards death," Song Hongyu retorted.
Another sharp elbow from Zhen Zhen silenced her, forcing a muffled cry of pain.
Back on the road, Ge Shoujia took the wheel with Lin Hui riding shotgun, both scanning the highway ahead. Yang Bo watched over Shi Bi, Zhen Zhen monitored Song Hongyu, and I kept Deng Ligang in my sights. The prisoners displayed starkly different demeanors during our journey.
Shi Bi slept deeply, one nap blending into another. Ji Dashun had completely collapsed, slumped in his seat like a broken marionette. Song Hongyu oscillated between hysterical laughter and heart-wrenching sobs. Deng Ligang sat rigidly upright, surprisingly conversational.
"What books do you enjoy?" he asked me.
I shrugged. "Anything I can get my hands on."
"I'm partial to detective novels," he said. "I've read all nine volumes of the complete Sherlock Holmes collection."
"All nine?" I challenged. "List them."
Without hesitation, he reeled off: "A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Valley of Fear, His Last Bow, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes."
"Do you watch legal programs?" I inquired.
"Of course," he replied, a hint of irony in his voice. "Know your enemy as you know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat."
I couldn't help but smirk. "That's quite a boast."
"In ten years, you've crossed paths with me twice without catching me. That's a fact, isn't it?" The smugness in his voice cut through the hood, sharp as a knife.
I matched his tone. "Things don't always happen more than thrice. This time, Deng Ligang, you didn't slip away. Consider three your unlucky number."
He snorted, defiance hanging in the air.
I pressed on, "You thought you were clever. No credit cards, no flights, no hotel stays. No traces in public records. You believed your careful planning would keep you safe forever. Ten years of hiding, and I caught you in one swift move."
I patted his shoulder. "Get some rest. Once we're home, sleep won't come easy."
Deng Ligang went quiet. I couldn't tell if he'd drifted off. My own eyes burned, feeling like they'd been rubbed with sandpaper, sleep nowhere in sight.
We drove the two-thousand-kilometer journey non-stop. As we entered Snow City, I pulled off his hood. "Look outside. Recognize anything?"
He blinked, adjusting to the light. "I left ten years ago. Nothing looks familiar."
I pointed ahead. "Qingtan Street and Tonghui Street intersection."
"Oh, right," he mumbled, looking away.
"This is where you ran from," I said. "And where you'll stand trial. Full circle, Deng Ligang. From start to finish."
He closed his eyes, conversation over.
At the detention center, our tensions finally unraveled. Exhaustion settled deep in our bones. To burn off the remaining energy, I organized an ice hockey match. Twelve officers, six per team, battled fiercely on the rink. Bodies collided. Colleagues not playing cheered from behind the barriers, pounding the railings.
The puck rolled to my feet. I swung, sending it sailing into the goal. Whistles erupted. Hats and gloves rained onto the ice.
Yang Bo slammed me against the barrier, his breath hot on my face.
I yanked off my helmet. "Want to go?"
"Bring it," he challenged.
Helmets, sticks, and gloves hit the ice. Instantly, both teams dissolved into a wrestling match. The spectators beat a rhythmic cheer on the barriers.
Afterward, following tradition, over a dozen of us sat naked in the sauna, sweat glistening, rehashing the intense pursuit in Suilu City.
"You guys worked your asses off," I said. "Dinner's on me. As always."
Yang Bo called me out. "You can't even drink. What are you bragging about?"
"I can't drink, but you can!" I shot back.
Ge Shoujia chimed in, "Can we drink as much as we want?"
"Open wide," I challenged. "If you've got the balls, drink Xiqing Lou dry."
Yang Bo grinned. "Forget that. Let's stick to our usual – hot pot and beer. More our style."
We headed to the hot pot place on Qingtan Street. The team crowded around the table, bright red broth bubbling away. Glasses clinked constantly, laughter filling the air. Zhen Zhen sat among us, beaming.
Mid-meal, Zhen Zhen slipped out. She walked to the storefront that used to belong to Du Zhong's father. The tree stump remained, but the old arts and crafts shop had transformed into an ice cream store. She bought a cone and asked the owner, "This used to be an arts and crafts shop, right?"
"They moved," the owner said.
"Where to?"
"Rented a stall in Qingtan Building."
Qingtan Building bustled with young people shopping, drinking, eating, catching movies. Zhen Zhen wandered down to the basement. Across from the elevator, a massive wooden cruise ship model caught her eye. The display case stood unattended. She bought a popsicle and returned to our hot pot – an odd mix of scorching and frozen.
The following weekend, I invited Zhen Zhen over for dumplings. Her first mission: tutoring Peng Cheng. The kid was deep in his rebellious phase – sitting seemed to physically pain him.
But Zhen Zhen had a way with difficult students.
She presented a problem: "A bucket's got water and ice cubes touching the bottom. After the ice melts, will the water level be A) higher, B) equal, or C) lower than before?"
Peng Cheng chomped on his pen, stumped.
"Stuck?" Zhen Zhen asked.
"What's your answer?" he countered.
"A," she said confidently.
"Why?"
"When the ice melts, the water level rises above the original level," Zhen Zhen explained. "If the ice were floating, the mass would stay the same. But here, the ice is at the bottom. That's the trick to solving this."
Peng Cheng stared, confused but intrigued.
At the dinner table, Zhen Zhen pressed, "Do you accept it now?"
Peng Cheng shook his head. "No."
"Then solve the next one yourself," she challenged.
He threw her words back. "Didn't you just say pride leads to failure?"
Zhen Zhen smirked. "Only when you have a bucket of water can you give a bowl to students. Isn't that what your teacher always says?"
"Yes," he mumbled.
"Honestly? Your sister here definitely has that bucket of water," she declared.
Cheng Guo and I laughed. Peng Cheng ducked his head, burying his face in a chicken foot.
I asked, "Have your parents moved back to Snow City?"
Zhen Zhen nodded. "They reclaimed their old rental, did some renovations."
"Still arguing like always?" I probed.
She chuckled. "Too old for that now. They're obsessed with their cat. Spend all day chasing it, calling 'Mimi, Mimi.'"
Cheng Guo nudged her. "Time to find a partner, get married, have a kid. Give your parents something meaningful to do."
"Not happening," Zhen Zhen shut it down.
"Why not?"
Her voice softened. "After Luan City, I struggled with serious psychological issues. My parents even moved away because of my condition. I'm better now, but I'm still wary of men."
I teased, "You drink with the Criminal Investigation guys all the time. Doesn't seem very wary to me."
"They're my family!" she protested.
Peng Cheng piped up, "Sister, how do you calculate total resistance for parallel resistors?"
Without missing a beat, Zhen Zhen responded, "The reciprocal of the sum of the reciprocals!"
With the criminals caught, I immediately called Liu Liang. He was trying to coax his wife into drinking medicinal soup.
"Just drink it. It'll ease the pain, help you sleep," he pleaded softly.
She faced the wall, silent.
The phone rang. Liu Liang set down the medicine bowl. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Peng Zhaolin. Good news. The people who killed Liu Xinyuan are in custody."
Silence. I repeated "Hello" several times.
Liu Liang's voice trembled. "I've got you on speaker. Say it again. Louder. So my wife and daughter can hear."
I repeated: "The entire gang responsible for Liu Xinyuan's murder has been caught."
Liu Liang broke. Tears erupted like a burst dam. His wife struggled off the bed, shuffling to the table, eyes locked on the phone.
"Did you hear that?" he asked through his tears.
Liu Liang's wife picked up the phone, voice barely a whisper. "Did our Xinyuan hear this?"
"A life for a life," I said firmly. "Your daughter can rest in peace now."
She hung up. Tears cascaded down her cheeks, then transformed into gut-wrenching sobs that grew louder with each breath. Liu Liang approached, gently rubbing her back. The doctor had said her healing depended on her ability to cry—something she hadn't done in a decade. These were ten years of pent-up grief, finally breaking free.
Three days later, Liu Liang brought his wife to Snow City. They burst through the office door and immediately dropped to their knees. Startled, I helped them up, guiding them to the sofa.
Liu Liang's eyes glistened with tears as he gripped my hand. "Last night, I dreamed of Xinyuan. First time in ten years. She looked exactly like the day she left. She told me, 'Dad, my revenge is complete. I can go in peace now.' It felt so real—barely seemed like a dream."
His wife nodded, a simple smile spreading across her face. She unrolled a banner—one and a half meters wide, two meters long. Sixteen bold characters proclaimed: "Social conscience upholds justice; heroic police, the nemesis of criminals." They declared they'd attend the criminals' trial.
Deng Ligang's criminal history with Snow City's Public Security Bureau ran deep. After his arrest, additional reports surfaced, verifying his extensive crimes. With victims' families present, his sentence would only grow more severe. Getting him to admit guilt would be a battle.
Preliminary investigation was a chess match of logic—finding innocence through carefully connected links. It demanded razor-sharp focus, hunting for the slightest weakness. Where the arrest was a desperate animal's fight, this was their final, strategic defense.
Deng Ligang played indifferent, like a corpse unbothered by boiling water. Eyes half-closed, he let the investigator's questions wash over him.
"Did you commit the crime in Nanfeng?" the investigator pressed.
Deng Ligang rolled his eyes. "No."
"Then who did?"
"How would I know?"
"How could you not know?"
He leaned back, pure contempt etched on his face. "I'm bleeding from my ass. How could I care about someone else's hemorrhoids?"
He threatened to bash his head on the table if questioned further, claiming a headache. The guard escorted the hooded Deng Ligang back to his cell, then led out Shi Bi. The sound of chains made Deng Ligang realize Shi Bi was heading for interrogation.
"The one in Nanfeng, we didn't do it!" he shouted.
The guard shoved him. Hooded Shi Bi paused momentarily as he passed.
Ge Shoujia muttered, "He must have killed them. No way he'd leave witnesses."
"I don't buy it," Yang Bo responded. "I'll interrogate him myself tomorrow."
Yang Bo and Ge Shoujia sat across from Deng Ligang in the interrogation room.
"Will you talk or not?" Yang Bo demanded.
Deng Ligang sighed dramatically. "Human life is so brief. The universe has existed for 150 billion years. I'm less than a speck of dust. What do you want me to say?"
"Cut the philosophical crap," Yang Bo shot back. "One thing's certain: I'll outlive you. I've got all the time in the world to wait you out."
Deng Ligang looked up. "You can wait?"
"Absolutely," Yang Bo answered, dead serious.
Without warning, Deng Ligang slammed his forehead into the table with a sharp crack. He didn't move.
Ge Shoujia barked, "Lift your head and answer!"
Deng Ligang slowly raised his head. A massive lump swelled on his forehead, blood filling his mouth.
Yang Bo looked defeated. "That bastard bit his tongue. Took four stitches. Who knows what he'll try next?"
"I'll talk to him," I offered.
The interrogation room was small, maybe ten square meters, with a faint rust smell. A "Notice of Rights and Obligations for Criminal Suspects" hung on the wall.
Deng Ligang sat ramrod straight, handcuffed and shackled. When I entered, he relaxed, leaning back in his chair.
"Of all these people, I admire you the most," he said.
"Well, you've got good taste," I replied.
I had the guard remove his handcuffs. I placed some local sausages and smoked chicken on the table. "Xuecheng's finest. Enjoy."
He tore open the packaging, taking a bite. His eyes closed in pure pleasure.
"Damn, this is incredible," he muttered.
"Tastes like childhood?" I asked.
"I was born in the gutter," he said. "Never had stuff like this."
"What did your father do?"
"Boiler worker. Thirty-two yuan and fifty cents a month supporting four of us. Miserable life.
Loved drinking. When drunk, he'd beat my mother, my brother, or me. I hated him. Swore I'd fight back someday."
I peeled peanuts, listening carefully.
"Stole money, ran to Wutai Mountain to learn martial arts. Before I could get good, he died of illness. Never got my revenge."
"What illness?"
"Liver cancer."
"How old were you?"
He paused. "Eleven or twelve, I think."
He skillfully dismembered the chicken, eating with obvious enjoyment.
"Have you studied human anatomy?" I asked.
Deng Ligang tore into a chicken leg, pausing mid-bite. "Why study that? Experience is the best teacher. What's got you so interested?"
"Just curious," I replied.
He chuckled dryly. "You're something else. Been obsessed with that Biishui Garden case for a decade now."
"Was that your only case?" I probed carefully.
Deng Ligang plucked a piece of cartilage from his mouth and dropped it onto the table with deliberate precision. "You think that case is rock solid?"
"The fingerprints you left on the wall speak for themselves," I said.
His gaze softened, almost brotherly. I caught the shift immediately. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"We're evenly matched. I see right through your game," he said.
"Oh? And what game is that?"
"Casual conversation that's anything but. You're circling me like a hunter." A wry smile played at the corners of his mouth.
I matched his smile. "You've spent your entire life dismantling other people's lives. I'm just making sure every stone is turned."
He wiped his greasy hands on his clothes, letting out a low chuckle. "Alright, playing blind chess, are we? Make your move."
"In 1993, you were driving a taxi. You killed a female passenger. Your first murder."
The smile vanished from Deng Ligang's face. "Ji Dashun would sell his own parents' organs just to live another moment," he spat.
Undeterred, I continued, "I've spent ten years piecing together your crimes. Your trail runs through Guangdong, Hunan, Fujian, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Tianjin, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin – and who knows where else."
He grabbed a chicken foot, gnawing on it as I spoke.
"Prostitutes were your perfect targets. Mobile. Anonymous. Easy to make disappear. You'd kidnap two at a time - efficient and profitable. Always non-locals. Always choosing the most lucrative ones. Precise false location calls home. A perfectly orchestrated nightmare."
The interrogation room fell silent. Deng Ligang stared, unblinking.
I lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag. Something in his eyes shifted. Without a word, I removed the cigarette and placed it between his lips. He inhaled deeply, ash growing long before dropping onto the table. He smoked it down to the filter.
"Of all the people who've caught me," he said finally, "I respect you the most."
"Is that what respect looks like?" I challenged.
"One honest question. One honest answer," he demanded.
“Go ahead.”
"Did you find the breakthrough through my brother's medical treatment?"
I nodded.
Deng Ligang sighed heavily. "Fate. I warned him not to return to Xuecheng. But he came back anyway. I was so angry I broke his arm."
"Your entire plan was nearly perfect," I said, "but there's always one loose thread. You created a new identity for your mother, yet kept the name Zhang Ciyun unchanged. Only altered her height and age. That doesn't seem like a typical oversight for someone like you."
Mentioning his mother softened Deng Ligang visibly.
"She's ill, forgetful," he explained. "She wouldn't remember a new name. If she got lost, it would only create more problems."
The interrogation room fell into a heavy silence. I watched him, waiting.
Deng Ligang pressed his lips together, refusing to speak. I didn't push. Sweat beaded on his forehead, matching the nervous perspiration dripping from my own fingertips.
Finally, he broke the silence. "Arrogance brings nothing good. A mad dog gets hit with bricks. I loved challenging myself. But now I've reached the end of the road. I can handle any hardship, overcome any difficulty. Except one thing – my son."
He looked up, vulnerable. "Please. Don't tell my son about what I've done."
The request caught me off guard. "Why?"
"I'm afraid he won't be able to hold his head high when he grows up."
I challenged him, "He's barely three or four. Decades will pass. How could you possibly keep this secret? If you knew this day would come, why did you do it?"
Deng Ligang's voice grew tight. "I never planned on being a father. The child came suddenly, and I had to accept him. Song Hongyu could only be a mother once because of her narrow pelvis. I took advantage of that. She's been dragged down by me, completely unaware of our activities."
I smiled coldly. "The person who caught your wife was the woman she nearly killed. Qiu Feng is still alive. How could Song Hongyu possibly be unaware?"
His gaze dropped. When he looked up again, tears glistened in his eyes.
"You know," he said softly, "a person only realizes on their deathbed that one lifetime isn't enough."
"Our law demands a life for a life," I responded. "You've accumulated so much blood debt, you're past the point of no return. I can't influence your sentencing. But I can help with your family matters. Your mother's medical care, elderly support, funeral arrangements, your child's future – whatever I can do, I will. What's your greatest wish right now?"
He whispered, "I want to see my son."
I immediately called Qiao Zhi at the Suilu City Security Bureau, asking him to photograph Deng Ligang's son at the nursery. The picture arrived quickly – a little boy sitting alone on a swing, big eyes staring directly into the camera.
I printed the photo and handed it to Deng Ligang. "You can take this with you to the detention center."
Deng Ligang took the photo, and emotions overwhelmed him. Tears cascaded down his cheeks, splashing onto the image. He frantically wiped the photo with his sleeve, only to have another wave of tears fall. He completely broke down. I passed him tissues, one after another. The used tissues accumulated on the table like a small mountain of crumpled white. Eventually, his sobs subsided.
"What do you want to know? Ask," he said.
Just as I felt relief wash over me, he quickly added, "Brother, I respect you. We can talk about anything, but no video recording, no written record."
I agreed.
Deng Ligang wiped his face, rubbing his eyes with both hands. "I've never felt this low in my entire life. Emotions were always just garbage to me, but now that garbage is tearing me apart inside."
"I have a son too. I understand," I said.
He continued, "After my father died, my mother wanted me to go back to school. But I had a terrible temper. I got expelled for seriously injuring someone in a fight. After that, I started drifting through life. My mother was sick, so I had to support the family. With no money for business, I bought a third-hand car and started taking whatever work I could get. That incident in 1993 was pure chance."
"This woman hired my taxi to go to Caoying. I told her the meter wouldn't work for such a long trip. She said it was only fifteen li, would cost twenty yuan at most. I warned her the road at Changqiao was under repair, we'd have to detour. She thought I was lying and insisted on going through Changqiao. When we hit the roadblock, she finally believed me. She kept talking about bad luck. I said, 'You were afraid I'd take you on a longer route, but now we have to turn back, it'll be an even longer trip.' She claimed it was just three li more.
Three li? It was over eight! She accused me of trying to extort her. I stopped the car and told her to get out. Left her by the roadside and drove off. This woman had an even worse temper than me and chased after the car, cursing. When she brought my mother into it, I lost control. I drove halfway, then turned back to chase her. She realized something was wrong and started running.
The more she ran, the angrier I became. I hit her with the car. Even lying on the ground, she kept cursing. I grabbed her purse and took money from her wallet. With her face covered in blood, she finally softened and begged me to take her to the hospital. I told her, 'I hit you because of your foul mouth. We're even now. Neither of us owes the other anything. If you're lucky, you'll crawl back. If not, dig a hole and bury yourself.' She begged again, saying there was money on her card and she'd give me the PIN if I'd take her to the hospital and spare her life."
"I stuffed a glove in her mouth and shoved her in the trunk. I hit three different ATMs, then switched to another and cleaned out the card. When I drove to a quiet spot and opened the trunk, she was already dead. I was stunned, completely lost. I went back to my rented room late that night, carried her inside, and started dismembering her. I just knew how to cut her up. Twenty pieces. I packed them in garbage bags and drove 200 kilometers that night, dumping the bags in remote mountains and wilderness."
"A herb gatherer found the remains," I said. "Someone reported you'd had her in your taxi. You ran from Xuecheng, stole Li Jianfeng's ID, and only then came back."
Deng Ligang sighed, "The first time's always the worst. After that, you realize it's not so hard. With accomplices, it got even easier. Wherever we planned to go, we'd send a meat grinder ahead. I was a factory fitter, knew mechanical repairs. Ji Dashun was an electrician. We had skills. We'd always rent in fancy communities - high-rise apartments with bathtubs, three bedrooms, a living room. We packaged ourselves as big shots. Gold watches, gold chains, briefcases - we could fool anyone."
I watched him, silent.
"Don't look at me like that," he said. "I'm prepared. It's just death, right? If they'd caught me in '93, it would've been instant execution. Now it's 2011. I've lived 18 extra years. I've won! If I could've whitewashed my identity one more time, you wouldn't have found a trace of me."
"How would you have done that?" I asked.
"I would've killed my wife and child."
His voice was so flat, so matter-of-fact, it made my blood run cold.
"Push my son off the building," he continued. "Kill Song Hongyu, Shi Bi, and Ji Dashun. Then I'd be completely safe."
He paused, then gave a bitter, twisted smile. "Death is death. I've lived long enough. I've even thought about jumping off a building during arguments with my wife and father-in-law."
"Why didn't you?" I asked.
Deng Ligang replied, "I have a principle: I'd rather be a criminal than a victim. I'm not afraid of death. The good thing about lying in a grave is that you don't have to fear aging day by day, don't have to fear illness, don't have to struggle to remember how many strokes are in the character for 'fear'."
"Do you think you'll have a grave?" I challenged.
Deng Ligang's eyelids dropped for a moment before he looked back at me.
"Brother, you play a ruthless game of chess," he said. "Each of your moves hides a dagger. If I'm not careful, you'll slit my throat."
Interrogating Shi Bi was straightforward. He was the most educated in Deng Ligang's gang. I asked how he'd ended up on this criminal path.
"My father died when I was in high school, and my mother remarried," he began. "My stepfather didn't like me. I always felt like an outsider. I was smart, did well in school. After university, I was assigned to a factory as an assistant engineer. I hated the job and constantly skipped work. Then my mother fell ill and urgently needed money. I stole cables from the factory to sell and got fired. I started trying different businesses. Once I made some money, I got married. My wife was stunning - first-rate looks, perfect figure. She pushed me to take out a loan, buy a car, and resell beer. All our earnings went into her hands."
He paused, lost in the memory.
"I was always on the road, and my wife had an affair. After cheating on me, she demanded a divorce and took everything we'd earned."
Silence hung between us. I waited.
"Those were the lowest years of my life," he continued. "When I was completely broke, Deng Ligang reached out and helped me. The first time we went out to kidnap someone, I was terrified. We made 50,000 yuan that time. It gave me a taste. After that, it became easier."
"Didn't you feel guilty about killing people?" I asked.
Shi Bi said, "Of course I felt guilty, but I pushed it down immediately. The first kill shook me to my core. The second was easier. Eventually, I just went numb. I stopped counting how many people I killed. If you start thinking of yourself as an animal, you forget what it means to be human. I'd have nightmares, my heart would race whenever I saw police or police cars. I wanted to quit, but the money disappeared fast. When I was broke, Deng Ligang would slip me some cash. I stuck with him till the end out of pure gratitude."
"I've heard that after your arrest, none of your family visited or put money in your account," I said. "Deng Ligang was the one who funded you completely."
"He's been good to me," Shi Bi replied.
"So you took the blame for a lot of things? To thank him?"
"I killed all those people. He just came to help dispose of the bodies."
I smiled coldly. "Your loyalty is worthless. One case is enough to execute him, let alone all the other crimes you're trying to cover up."
Shi Bi went quiet.
"After your arrest," I continued, "Feng Shuanghuan sold the shop quickly. No one knows where she went with the child."
He sighed deeply. "You can't take anything with you. Only your sins follow you to the grave. If I could find one decent thing among all my wrongs, it's that I didn't start another family or have kids. I have no attachments when I die. Feng Shuanghuan was the only woman who was truly sincere to me. I'm grateful to her. Whatever she does to me, I won't hold it against her."
"Do you think Deng Ligang will stay loyal to you till the end?" I asked.
Shi Bi shook his head, "After we concealed our identities, I was always convinced he might murder me. I lived in constant vigilance. Deep down, I feared him but couldn't bring myself to break away. I'll be honest—in this world, he and I are the only ones truly alike. We see right through each other, and that's precisely why we can't coexist. Solitude only intensifies my inner turmoil. Sometimes, I'm haunted by disturbing thoughts."
Peng Zhaolin asked, "What kind of thoughts?"
Shi Bi replied, "Taking a life is straightforward. Enduring existence—that's the real challenge. I've contemplated suicide multiple times but never followed through. After arriving in Suilu, I devoured food and slept excessively, desperately hoping to become so unrecognizable that no one would know me. But even fate seemed to mock my efforts. Despite gaining significant weight, you still recognized me."
I said, "They say divine judgment is always watching. Heaven has its own sense of justice."
Shi Bi sighed and looked up at me, "I'm resigned to my destiny. I have to accept it. In total, I've committed ten crimes, killing two people each time. That means I'm responsible for twenty deaths."
He fixed his gaze on me, "One final question."
"Ask away."
"Did you discover my driver's license hidden in the cabinet at Biishui Garden?"
I nodded.
Shi Bi said, "I never dared to mention hiding that license. If Deng Ligang had known, he would have killed me on the spot."
In prison, Shi Bi ate heartily and slept soundly, continuing to gain weight. He claimed that during sleep, thoughts of death no longer plagued him.
Ji Dashun's condition was grave. His lung cancer had spread to the lymph nodes, rendering his prognosis terminal. Paradoxically, he felt a sense of relief, knowing he wouldn't have to await a formal verdict. Death was imminent, and he was prepared to face whatever judgment awaited him.
I arranged for him to meet his wife and child one last time. His wife and 17-year-old son stood beside his hospital bed. Ji Dashun struggled to sit upright.
His wife burst into uncontrollable tears. "Look at yourself—a shell of a man. What have you been chasing all these years? You abandoned your family, your child. During all this time away, did you ever spare a thought for us?"
Ji Dashun nodded, then shook his head. His eyes lingered on his son's face.
"I anticipated your mother would come, but your presence surprises me," he said.
The son, eyes fixed downward, muttered, "Mom made me come."
"Do you remember when I called you on your seventh birthday? A decade has vanished in an instant, and I've failed to fulfill any parental responsibilities. I've disappointed you. Can you forgive me?" Ji Dashun asked.
The son turned away, speaking with cold composure, "My mother raised me alone for ten years. I won't detail the hardships we endured. Just as our lives were stabilizing, a father emerges—one who's committed terrible crimes. My feelings toward you can be summed up in one word: hate!"
Ji Dashun nodded, "I understand. With my terminal illness, my time is short. I'm grateful you've allowed me this final glimpse of you."
Ji Dashun's wife stormed out, dragging their son behind her. Exhausted, Ji Dashun collapsed back onto the bed. I entered the room and adjusted his pillow, making him more comfortable.
"Since you've granted my request, I'll honor yours," Ji Dashun said.
He began telling his story about escaping to Suilu: "After we all took on new identities, Deng Ligang established a strict rule: in public, we'd claim to be cousins, but privately, we were to avoid any contact or communication. Nobody was allowed to return to Xuecheng or connect with anyone from there, under any circumstances. I once considered breaking away from Deng Ligang and going back home. But he saw right through me.
"During a trip to Xuecheng to get his mother and brother, he found my wife and child. He pulled out a stack of cash and told my wife, 'I've come in a hurry and couldn't bring gifts. Here's 5,000 yuan for my nephew to buy some necessities.' My wife was so touched she nearly cried. When she asked about me, Deng Ligang said I was fine and even let me speak with her briefly. She questioned why I couldn't return when others could, wondering if I still cared about our family.
"I realized something wasn't right. I asked my wife to prepare dinner, then pressed Deng Ligang about his sudden appearance. He claimed he was checking on my family because I was feeling homesick. After my wife and son left, he dropped his facade and whispered a chilling threat: 'If you're going to die, die out there. If you even think about coming back, I'll kill your wife and child.' From that moment on, I never mentioned returning to Xuecheng again."
A nurse entered to replace the IV bag. Ji Dashun watched the liquid drip slowly.
Suddenly, he smiled, "I've lived a good life. Never short on money or women. Now with this terminal illness, I won't even make it to my execution. The afterlife awaits, but at least I'll die naturally."
Ji Dashun held up two fingers, "The doctors give me two months, tops."
He sighed, "As long as Deng Ligang is alive, I'll never feel safe. He's cold-blooded and impossible to predict. Cross him, and he won't show any reaction. Just when you think you're in the clear, he'll strike. For over a decade, I've been constantly on edge around him. Just as I was about to break, you arrested us. In a way, it's a relief. While I still have breath, ask me anything. I'll confess to everything I've done."
Before Song Hongyu joined the group, Ji Dashun was responsible for luring people back. In Yantai, he brought back a madam named Ji Ya.
Ji Ya lay on the floor, bound with tape, her disheveled hair obscuring her face. Deng Ligang grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up. As she brushed her hair aside, her fair complexion was revealed. Ji Dashun stared intently, his eyes locked on her. He nudged Shi Bi, who simply walked to the kitchen without acknowledging him. Ji Dashun followed.
Shi Bi started boiling water for noodles while Ji Dashun watched him.
"I didn't notice how stunning she was when we first grabbed her. She's absolutely gorgeous," Ji Dashun said.
"What difference does that make?" Shi Bi replied, barely looking up.
Ji Dashun shot back, "You've been cheated on so many times you can't even appreciate a beautiful woman anymore."
Shi Bi continued preparing the meal, ladling noodles into bowls and topping them with meat sauce, ignoring the comment.
"Help me find a way to keep her," Ji Dashun pleaded.
Shi Bi glanced at him but said nothing.
"Say something," Ji Dashun pressed.
"Even if I could turn lead into gold, I'd need to take a shit first," Shi Bi retorted.
Ji Dashun relented, "Fine, go ahead and take your dump."
Shi Bi carried two bowls of noodles to the living room, with Ji Dashun following with the last bowl.
Deng Ligang, Shi Bi, and Ji Dashun settled on the sofa, eating. Ji Dashun's eyes constantly drifted to Ji Ya.
Deng Ligang spoke to Ji Ya between bites, "I know your line of work brings in good money."
Ji Ya kept her head down. "The money in my account is all I have. My entire life's savings."
"How much?" Deng Ligang asked.
"500,000 yuan. I'll give you the password. Just take the money and let me go. I promise to return to my hometown and never show my face again," Ji Ya begged.
Deng Ligang looked skeptical. "You'd definitely go to the police after losing 500,000 yuan."
Ji Ya swore, "If I report you, you can kill me."
Deng Ligang nodded, "Good point. We have your ID. We can find you anywhere."
"My brother's the kind of man who'd crush you without thinking twice," Ji Dashun added, purposely trying to intimidate her.
Ji Ya nodded frantically, "I understand completely. Reporting you would only make things worse for me."
Deng Ligang tossed her a piece of paper and a pen to write down the password.
Ji Ya wrote it down without hesitation.
Deng Ligang instructed Ji Dashun, "Withdraw the money carefully. Spread it out. Don't use the same bank twice."
Ji Dashun retrieved the money and handed it to Deng Ligang, who meticulously counted it at the dining table. Meanwhile, Ji Dashun slipped into the bedroom with Ji Ya. Shi Bi knocked on the door, calling out, "That's enough. Don't push it."
Ji Dashun quickly dressed and tied Ji Ya back up. Under the guise of withdrawing money, he secretly bought some cakes and bread for her.
"We'll let you go home once the money's withdrawn," he reassured her.
Ji Ya nervously glanced at the door.
"We share a surname. I promise you'll walk out of here if you do exactly as I say," Ji Dashun said.
Ji Ya nodded vigorously.
Ji Dashun broke off pieces of cake and fed her, whispering, "Eat quickly. Don't let the others see."
Tears welled in Ji Ya's eyes. "I know you're trying to help me."
"Just don't turn on me once you're out," he warned.
"Never! I promise!" she insisted.
Ji Dashun leaned close, murmuring, "If I ask to meet you after you're free, would you?"
Ji Ya responded eagerly, "Yes, absolutely. I'll meet you."
Ji Dashun found a moment to plead with Deng Ligang.
Deng Ligang sneered, "Look at you. Panting like a dog over a piece of meat."
Shi Bi cautioned Ji Dashun, "Beautiful women are trouble. Pursuing her isn't just risky—it could get you killed."
Deng Ligang chimed in, "Shi Bi's got more sense than you'll ever have."
"He's been screwed over so many times he thinks every woman deserves to die. We've got our 500,000 yuan, so let's just let her go," Ji Dashun argued.
Deng Ligang, feeling unexpectedly generous, relented, "Fine. I'll do you a favor. Blindfold her, take her somewhere remote, and dump her. Whatever happens next is her problem."
Ji Dashun grinned, "Perfect, perfect."
"This isn't your job," Deng Ligang told Shi Bi. "You take care of it."
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