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墨書 Inktalez
“Xiao Lang, do you remember me? Ji Qinchou.”
The armed police officers and detectives who had originally been waiting outside the kitchen door to rush in and rescue the hostage had quietly withdrawn, stationed at various entrances of the community to intercept Pan Nianzhen and Fan Lingguang.
Shen Jie stayed by Ji Qinchou's side to assist him, while Director Yu was also supposed to stay but was forcefully pushed out the door by Shen Jie.
Pan Lang remained silent for a long time. “How about we talk directly with Fang Dersee?” Shen Jie suggested. Ji Qinchou had never experienced such a situation before; it would be false to say he wasn't nervous, but Captain Shen's years of case-handling experience were solid, so he chose to follow Captain Shen's advice. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard Pan Lang's voice coming through.
“Officer Ji? You're here too? Please save me! I'm scared!” Pan Lang said with a thick cry, “I came here to do a good deed... I saw the wanted notice you posted online... I was about to call the police when he came at me with a kitchen knife... I'm really scared, Ji Ge...”
“I'm sorry, Xiao Lang. Two years ago, I couldn't help you. I was too careless back then and didn't...”
“It's okay, Officer Ji. It's been so long; I've already let it go,” Pan Lang sobbed. “Besides, you really tried your best; I know that. That pervert was too cunning. The doctor checked me inside and out several times and found not a shred of evidence left behind. What could you do? Let's not talk about this anymore, okay? Please save me; I don't want to die...”
“It's not about that. What I'm sorry for is that I was foolish enough not to realize you were lying to me back then. Do you remember? In the interrogation room, you went from saying you were ‘taken away from a deep sleep’ to detailing ‘the atrocities committed against you by the perpetrator’ and then how ‘you stumbled your way to the police station.’ You described everything so vividly, but when I asked you about the perpetrator's characteristics, you claimed to know nothing—about his voice, height, appearance... This doesn't make sense, Xiao Lang; you know that too. But at that time, my lack of experience prevented me from seeing through your struggle beneath your calm demeanor.”
Pan Lang fell silent again, but this time it was shorter. “Officer Ji, I don't understand what you're saying.”
“I later reviewed the community surveillance footage. On the night of the incident, I checked every possible entry point into the house; there were no men seen around the house all night unless he entered through the front door or someone led you out openly—like your mother. To cover this up, you lied from the start; the reason you refused to provide details about the perpetrator is because she was present when you were being abused, right? A fifteen-year-old girl escaping from a den of danger instinctively seeks protection; when you ran into the police station and saw officers, you finally relaxed your guard completely. But at the same time, you calmed down—you regretted coming here but knew I wouldn't let you go easily. So while recounting the incident, you desperately tried to erase any traces of your mother's presence. Also, despite suffering such severe injuries, there was no biological evidence left behind from the perpetrator on your body—that's unscientific; your mother must have helped clean you up thoroughly before you escaped! Even after she treated you like that, you still chose to protect her!”
Shen Jie’s eyes—similar to those of Tony Leung—were now wide open in shock; his naturally deep and mysterious gaze had been completely ruined by this revelation. Not only that, but he stood with his legs apart in a T-pose with his hands on his hips, his expression filled with disbelief: You’ve been hiding this from us?
“Yes.” Pan Lang answered sharply this time, her tone turning cold. “You should have realized what kind of person Pan Nianzhen is long ago; back then, you stood in front of me and sternly warned her off—you scared her half to death! She’s so timid that after returning home she kept asking me if I told you anything. I was angry with her and deliberately scared her a bit; she ‘plopped’ down and knelt before me—this mother kneeling before her daughter! Haha! You should have seen that scene; it cracked me up!”
“But now you're regretting it; you've changed your mind and decided to drag her down with you.”
Pan Lang stopped laughing. “I knew it! How could it be such a coincidence that there’s suddenly a power outage? I just paid my electricity bill two days ago—just for today’s dramatic moment! What a pity; it all fell apart at the last moment! That damn bitch knows that without me as her burden she can laugh herself awake in the middle of the night! Not necessarily though; she’s old and unattractive now—who would want her on the street? Who besides me would be willing to take over her clients’ resources for her?”
This time Ji Qinchou fell silent as well; he leaned against the wall corner with his head down for a long while before Shen Jie patted his shoulder. “I’ll handle this.”
“Fang Dersee, what about you? What are you trying to gain by playing along with her?”
Ji Qinchou whispered, “They were once alumni of Rongqing.”
Shen Jie nodded in understanding as Fang Dersee spoke up as well: “Has Fan Lingguang arrived? Let him in!”
“Do you want to blow him up? Why? Did he violate some young girl around you back then and now you're seeking revenge for her? Is this girl your girlfriend? But isn’t Fan Lingguang also your uncle?”
“You're talking nonsense! You...” Shen Jie seemed to have inadvertently hit some nerve of Fang Dersee’s because he roared angrily like an enraged bull.
“Before Fan Lingguang arrives we won’t say anything!” Pan Lang defended Fang Dersee.
Shen Jie lowered his voice: “Young lady, right now you have no leverage left.”
An eerie silence fell over them.
"Officer Ji, thank you." Pan Lang spoke first. "I am the illegitimate child my mother bore, with no idea who my biological father is. Because of my existence, she ran off with a wealthy man, so she has always hated me. You are the second person in this world to treat me well. Just consider this a repayment for your kindness. I must remind you, do not let Fan Lingguang notice anything unusual; otherwise, with one phone call, many girls will die, many." The tremor in Pan Lang's voice was almost overwhelming. "Two years ago, on that night, a little girl tugged at my clothes and said she wanted to go back to class. If she failed her final exams, her mother would hit her. She said she would be promoted to third grade after the summer vacation."
Shen Jie felt as if firecrackers had been stuffed into his ears, the explosions making his vision go dark and a buzzing sound piercing into his brainstem. He had to brace himself against the wall. "Where was that place? How many girls were there? Any other information?"
"I don't know; it was my first time there. Pan Nianzhen drove the car; you can ask her." Pan Lang paused briefly. "Fan Lingguang was there, and Fang Dersee was too. Fan Lingguang was wrapped in monk robes outside..."
"Pudu Temple, the entrance is behind Buddha's Lotus Throne," Fang Dersee said calmly. "But that's an old location; it was moved before the police station relocated. You issued a wanted notice, and Fan Lingguang was afraid I would be caught and expose everything, so he wanted to silence me. I seized an opportunity to escape; at that time, those girls were tied up in a basement under a bar, with the entrance in booth 203 around the corner. That room never received regular guests; anyone who entered was there for the little girls heading to the basement. But after I escaped, I don't know if he moved them again."
"Damn!" Shen Jie cursed angrily, gripping the walkie-talkie as he turned to arrange for the comrades stationed at the community entrance to remain hidden and let Fan Lingguang in. Once there was an opportunity, they would capture him immediately; they could not give him any chance to contact the outside world!
The information from Pan Lang and Fang Dersee was overwhelming and easily overlooked due to their underlying implications. Ji Qinchou raised his head and sat on the floor by the kitchen door. When Pan Lang heard the movement, he asked him,
"Aren't you going?"
"I'm not leaving."
"We've said everything we know."
"I still have questions that I want answers to. For example... the 17 serial rape-murder cases that occurred within just two years, with 15 victims—there must be an explanation for their families from the police. Fang Dersee, did you do it? Since you both decided to die together, if it was you, just admit it."
"It wasn't me! Why..."
"I'll speak," Pan Lang interjected. "Fan Lingguang has a security company with clients all over the world and often dispatches security personnel out of town. Whenever Fan Lingguang has free time, he takes his subordinates along to discuss business. You can check that company's dispatch records and compare them with the times and locations of these cases to see if they match perfectly."
"You know quite a bit; what you mentioned will be checked by the police, but without concrete evidence, they won't easily list him as a primary suspect."
"What evidence?"
"…"
They were whispering; Ji Qinchou couldn't hear clearly until he caught Pan Lang's sigh as she walked towards the door. He quickly gathered his slender fingers and got up, holding his breath as he listened for Pan Lang's movements behind the door when suddenly two mobile phones slipped out from beneath the gap.
"Everything is inside. I originally planned to have Fan Lingguang and Pan Nianzhen come over so we could confront them directly. Once we exposed all their crimes, we would blow him to pieces—this way you would also have leads and directions for investigation—but... it doesn't matter anymore."
Ji Qinchou heard her walking back and felt a surge of panic as he picked up one of the phones and used all his strength to slam against the wooden door. "Pan Lang! Stop! You haven't clarified everything!" He slammed again and again... "Bang!" A deafening explosion! The powerful shockwave slammed Ji Qinchou against the wall before crashing him down onto the ground unconscious. Shen Jie, standing at a nearby intersection, suddenly turned around as a buzzing sound nearly pierced his brain; police officers at every entrance of the community looked over in this direction along with Pan Nianzhen and Fan Lingguang...
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