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墨書 Inktalez
"Why are we going to that place?" Old Shao knew that Jiang He had noticed something, but he couldn't understand how Jiang He had figured it out.
Jiang He explained to Old Shao, "I noticed that there was dried mud on Huang Zhengqing's shoes."
Wang Chao chimed in, "I noticed that too, but isn't such mud found everywhere?"
Jiang He decisively shook his head. "No, this kind of mud isn't found just anywhere. The mud on his shoes is in clumps, not dust, which means it was wet before. Jingzhong City hasn't had any rainfall recently. I have a sixty percent certainty that this mud came from the riverbank, a thirty percent chance it was from a muddy road that someone splashed water on, and a ten percent chance it came from a possible water depression by the roadside."
"Then why the southern suburbs of Jingzhong City?" Old Shao asked. "It's not just the southern suburbs that have rivers; the Scenic River winds through the southwest of Jingzhong City. Why go south?"
"Vegetation," Jiang He replied, glancing at the trees nearby. "The vegetation differs; the western terrain is higher while the southern terrain is lower. The plant life in both areas is quite different. In the mud that Huang Zhengqing stepped in, I saw a piece of Heather Petal. When I looked at the city map earlier, I noted the entire city's layout. This flower emits a scent similar to semen, so it isn't planted in urban areas—only in the southern suburbs."
Jiang He laid out his deductions in one breath, leaving Old Shao and Wang Chao exchanging glances. Jiang He's observational skills were indeed "abnormal," as he could analyze from the clump of mud on Huang Zhengqing's shoe that he had stepped in it by the riverbank in the southern suburbs. However, none of the kidnappers' games had taken place in the southern suburbs, meaning they likely resided there.
There were multiple kidnappers involved; Huang Zhengqing had almost walked into a trap to play games with the police, but others were still outside. As Huang Zhengqing said, as long as that person remained outside, this game wouldn't end.
Old Shao looked up at the starry sky; it was around eleven o'clock at night now. If they headed to the southern suburbs, it would likely be late into the night by the time they arrived. Although Jiang He provided a range for their search, there were many places near the river with flowering stonebushes in the southern suburbs, making it difficult to find them easily.
After thinking for a moment, Old Shao arranged, "Jiang He, you go mobilize some criminal police teams to join us. Wang Chao, you investigate the task I've assigned you."
Everything was set in motion.
Several police cars drove towards the southern suburbs without sirens along the Scenic River.
Jiang He looked out of the car window at the slowly flowing river; this was one of those rare moments when he could calm himself down without being tormented by overwhelming memories or pain.
In the distance, he saw a red dot flickering.
At this moment, Feng Gaofei was also gazing at the gently flowing river. Sitting by its edge with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, its glowing tip flickered intermittently, casting light on Feng Gaofei's strikingly handsome face like a mountain peak. Though he sat there physically, his mind was elsewhere—his heart was already at the police station.
The third game had begun, and it was the last one planned. Feng Gaofei didn't know if there would be more games like this in the future, but these three games had given him an inexplicable thrill. As a straightforward farmer, Feng Gaofei had never experienced such excitement before.
It was a sense of power, a judgment, a form of justice.
Feng Gaofei tossed his cigarette butt into the river, watching it extinguish in an instant. He actually trusted the person behind him, but for some reason, today he felt that something was about to happen. Perhaps it was because Huang Zhengqing had entered the police station, or maybe it was because the stakes of this game were getting higher.
This was a great mockery of the police station; Feng Gaofei knew that the police would thoroughly investigate this case until they caught the person behind it.
Feng Gaofei crouched down and washed his face with the river water, which was warm from the sun. After washing his face, he unbuttoned his pants, preparing to relieve himself in the river. Just then, he suddenly felt a wave of anxiety wash over him. He turned his head, sensing that many eyes were watching him in the dark night.
This place was remote; the police would never find him here. But when he saw vague shadows flickering in the darkness, Feng Gaofei realized that things had been exposed. He hurriedly pulled up his pants and dove into the river, planning to escape under the cover of night.
But then he heard a splash right after he jumped into the water.
Feng Gaofei knew someone was following him, and soon more people jumped into the river as well. He swam frantically, feeling whirlpools forming around him. He knew many people were close behind him, but in the dark night, he couldn't see them at all.
Feng Gaofei desperately swam toward the shore and finally climbed out of the water. He didn't dare to stand up; instead, he crawled forward, hoping to escape under the moonlight. He couldn't understand what was happening—how could the police find such a secluded place? Did Huang Zhengqing confess everything at the police station?
Could the third game still continue?
Just as Feng Gaofei sighed in relief, a hand grabbed his ankle.
"Over here!" Jiang He shouted as he held onto Feng Gaofei's ankle.
Feng Gaofei's heart raced; he exerted force with his foot and kicked Jiang He in the head, knocking him to the ground before sprinting away.
Jiang He felt dizzy from the blow and fell to the ground. His face burned as he touched it and found warm liquid—blood. Wiping away the blood with his hand, Jiang He chased after Feng Gaofei in the direction he had fled. The two raced through the pitch-black environment, one ahead of the other.
They stumbled over plants and uneven ground beneath their feet while struggling to see what lay ahead. Both moved quickly because they knew that in such darkness by the riverbank, if they got too far apart, they would no longer be able to see each other.
Feng Gaofei wanted to shake off Jiang He, and that meant he had to keep running, trying to distance himself from him. Jiang He, on the other hand, needed to get closer to catch Feng Gaofei, never losing sight of his target.
As their speeds increased, so did the number of wounds on their bodies.
Finally, at a riverbank embankment, Feng Gaofei stumbled and rolled out. During the tumble, a chill ran through his heart as he gradually realized where he was. This was an embankment by the river, surrounded by stones.
The embankment sloped at an eighty-degree angle, steep enough to prevent children from treating it like a slide.
In his eagerness to escape Jiang He's pursuit, Feng Gaofei unknowingly stepped into a gap between the stones, twisting his ankle. He was about to roll down the embankment. The vertical height of the embankment was at least seven or eight meters; falling wouldn’t necessarily be fatal, but it would surely result in serious injury.
Just then, a hand grabbed Feng Gaofei's arm.
Jiang He appeared before him once more.
A strange feeling surged within Feng Gaofei. He could have easily chosen to let go and fall down, getting hurt badly in the process. Then this officer could take him back, and he could even settle the score for being kicked in the face.
But Jiang He did not do that.
Under the gentle moonlight, Feng Gaofei finally got a good look at this officer. He was a slender man; compared to this police officer, Feng Gaofei felt he could take on two of him.
"Get up," Jiang He shouted.
However, during the rapid movement earlier, one of Feng Gaofei's feet had gotten stuck in a gap between the stones. The sudden stop caused his foot to break. His other foot twisted during the roll as well, though not as severely.
At that moment, neither of his feet could bear weight; one was completely unmanageable. The slightest movement of the other foot sent waves of pain shooting through him, making it impossible to exert any strength. On such a steep slope, Feng Gaofei found it impossible to gain any footing.
Now he had no choice but to wait for the other officers to find him and pull him up or rely on Jiang He’s strength to lift him. But Feng Gaofei knew that this frail officer couldn’t possibly pull him up; he could feel Jiang He’s arm trembling—he wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer.
Feng Gaofei sneered coldly and said, "You don’t need to pretend to help me; let go."
Jiang He directly asked, "It seems you are not the one planning the game. Who is behind you?"
Feng Gaofei laughed heartily, "You don't need to know who is behind me. You only need to know that he will never be caught, and the game will continue forever."
"Why are you doing this?" Jiang He asked again. "Is it just to play this illusory game, to see how a person chooses to kill others or end their own life?"
"No!" Feng Gaofei shouted. "You have no idea what we are really doing. This is for justice; it is a form of judgment! How many wrongdoers go unpunished? How many good people are driven to desperation? What we are doing is upholding justice and making those Evil Persons understand what retribution means!"
Jiang He furrowed his brows, about to think of something when he heard the footsteps of other police officers approaching.
Feng Gaofei clearly heard the sound as well. He suddenly slammed his hand down on Jiang He's, causing Jiang He to wince in pain and release his grip, allowing Feng Gaofei to fall.
As he fell, Feng Gaofei shouted, "Justice may be delayed, but it will never be absent!"
With that, Feng Gaofei crashed heavily down the riverbank.
Jiang He watched as Feng Gaofei struggled after falling. His legs were unable to push against the ground, one of his arms was broken, and blood covered his head. Yet he did not emit any sounds of pain; instead, he resolutely supported himself with one hand and slowly crawled toward the riverbank…
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