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Hao Ren widened his eyes, looking around with an innocent expression. In an exaggerated tone, he said, "Yes, what you have is the truth. But what does that matter? I’ve never claimed it wasn’t the truth. I admit it, and then what do you want to do?"
Seeing Hao Ren's demeanor, I suddenly felt that this version of him was not the Hao Ren I had known before. The Hao Ren I knew was somewhat shy, someone who would blush under the gaze of a crowd, not this person who was dancing around the police.
"Could you repeat that?" Gu Chen seemed unable to believe that Hao Ren had just admitted to what he had done.
But Hao Ren pursed his lips and said, "What you guessed earlier is all true; it was all me. I burned down my own house, but I only damaged my own property and didn’t harm anyone else's. There’s no law against burning your own house, is there?"
I frowned.
It seemed that Hao Ren was not avoiding these questions: "The house where Zhao Li was held captive was rented by me. Zhao Li and I were both acting. Du Ziguo’s death was a suicide; by the time I learned about it, he was already dead. Should I carry out my son’s wishes regarding this matter?"
"Although I lack cultural knowledge, should I execute the plan my son would rather die for?" Hao Ren suddenly burst into laughter. "But even if I know all this, what good does it do?"
A sense of unease suddenly arose within me.
Hao Ren continued, "You’re all police officers; do you know that once a bullet is fired from a gun, it can never be taken back?"
I finally understood what Hao Ren intended to do, and at that moment, his laughter grew louder, even bringing tears to his eyes.
Gu Chen said, "Even so, you’re panicking; we can still detain you."
"Is that so?" Hao Ren stopped laughing and extended his hands, indicating that we could cuff him. Gu Chen was never one to hesitate and promptly handcuffed Hao Ren. The director beside us clearly hadn’t anticipated things escalating to this point; he couldn’t believe that this Hao Ren wasn’t as perfect as he had imagined.
After a moment of silence, the director finally spoke up: "Well then, if that's the case..."
After a long pause without any resolution from the director, he chose to remain silent.
Guan Zengbin asked, "So what happens next?"
I scratched my head; the excitement of solving the case had completely vanished. Clearly, we had seen through Hao Ren's scheme, yet the outcome of our investigation merely maintained the status quo. Zhang Bin was still not the murderer and could continue with his life as usual while Hao Ren faced a month of detention.
It seemed there was no significant change in the case. If a person would go so far as to frame another through suicide, could that person ever clear their name? It turned out that from the very beginning, Du Ziguo didn’t care whether we would uncover the truth or not; from the moment he devised his plan, we had already lost.
We all fell silent, and Gu Chen seemed unaware that the matter was not about the truth that would come later, but about the situation itself.
Gu Chen said, "Some should be caught, some should be let go. Making this so complicated is just nonsense."
I shook my head and replied, "It's far from that simple. If you don't believe me, just wait and see."
Hao Ren burst into laughter, seemingly unconcerned at all.
The moment Hao Ren was taken into custody, the director's phone began to ring incessantly. The calls were all about securing Hao Ren's bail, a term in China known as 'guarantee pending trial.' The crime Hao Ren committed was not serious; if he insisted he was just bragging, there was nothing we could do about it.
Once the bail was posted, Hao Ren could leave the detention center without spending any time there. This was why Hao Ren dared to share the truth with us; he wasn't the mastermind but merely an accomplice. Even if everything had been orchestrated by him, we still had no means to hold him accountable.
From a legal standpoint, Hao Ren's offense was not severe.
Before long, reporters surrounded the police station again.
The director said, "Hao Ren has just been selected as one of the top ten outstanding citizens of Yumu City, and shortly after that, he ends up in detention. This is quite a twist; reporters love stories with such reversals. Someone needs to go out and explain this."
Naturally, this task fell to me. We stood at the entrance of the police station, facing a crowd of journalists eager for interviews.
"I heard Hao Ren was arrested; what’s the reason behind it?"
"Zhang Bin has been released without charges, yet Hao Ren has been taken into custody. Is there something we don’t know about this?"
"There are rumors online suggesting Zhang Bin colluded with the police; what’s your take on this?"
Microphones were thrust toward me as I looked down at a sea of dark heads. The barrage of questions left me dizzy. I took a few deep breaths and gestured for silence before slowly speaking up: "I understand that given what has happened, you all want clarity."
Indeed, my words captured their attention, and they gradually quieted down.
I sighed and began: "I know everyone is surprised as to why Zhang Bin was released while Hao Ren was arrested. The reason is simple: Zhang Bin did not commit murder. Whether it was Fang Qi or Du Ziguo, both cases were suicides; Zhang Bin never laid a hand on anyone. I realize you may find this hard to accept or believe at first, but we have ample evidence to support this."
A reporter below asked, "Really? Is this the same nature as playing hide and seek in prison and the case of someone stabbing themselves over seventy times?"
With that, a chorus of laughter erupted among the reporters, as if the person's words were particularly humorous.
I frowned, feeling no amusement at all. Sometimes, people tend to believe that what they see is the truth, convinced that the findings of others are false. In reality, life is far more complex than one can imagine. Just like how Du Ziguo could commit suicide while ensuring his body wouldn't float away.
How could such behavior be something an ordinary person could achieve?
I spoke earnestly, "We can present evidence to prove that our investigation is indeed accurate. Fang Qi and Du Ziguo both committed suicide, and we have no direct evidence to confirm that Zhang Bin induced Du Ziguo to take drugs. Moreover, Du Ziguo is an adult; he possesses normal judgment and must take responsibility for his actions."
With that, I had Gu Chen bring out the printed documents, which detailed the steps left behind by Du Ziguo.
However, the reporters seemed to lose interest in this and stopped asking further questions.
Before long, Hao Ren walked out of the police station; someone had bailed him out.
Hao Ren chose not to leave through the side door but instead walked out through the front entrance openly. As he emerged, the previously lifeless reporters became excited again. They surrounded Hao Ren with questions, seemingly intent on stripping him of every detail.
"Hao Ren, is everything happening with the police part of your scheme? What do you think about that?"
At this moment, Hao Ren wore a serious expression and replied, "I don't want to discuss this matter anymore; my words won't change. If you have any questions, ask my lawyer."
Hao Ren's words were quite different from what he had said inside the police station. His statement had a double meaning. On one hand, it was directed at us; what he said in the police station was true. On the other hand, it was meant for the reporters, referring back to what he had said at the last press conference.
Gu Chen clearly caught onto the dual meanings in Hao Ren's words and stepped forward to confront him. "What were you like in the police station? Don't you think these ambiguous statements go against your conscience? Just clarify one thing: do you admit that Zhang Bin is innocent and did not commit murder or arson?"
The scene fell silent; this question was of utmost concern to all present reporters—no, they were only interested in what would come out of Hao Ren's mouth regarding this matter.
Hao Ren slowly replied, "Any issues should be directed to my lawyer. According to the law, I can leave now, right?"
With a smile, Hao Ren moved forward.
Gu Chen grabbed Hao Ren by the neck and said, "If you have the guts, come out and admit that all of this was your doing."
Such a move from Gu Chen naturally attracted a flurry of camera flashes. I could almost envision what the headline in Ming Newspaper would look like.
Suddenly, I understood why Hao Ren was so eager to confess. The more straightforward he was at the police station, the more ambiguous he became in front of the reporters, which only served to evoke sympathy from everyone. He was deliberately getting himself arrested, planning to secure bail later; this was Hao Ren's final act of publicity.
I pulled Gu Chen back and said, "We've all been played by this so-called clueless Hao Ren."
Hao Ren glanced at me but said nothing as he walked away.
With Hao Ren's departure, the atmosphere around us grew quiet.
Guan Zengbin asked, "Is it really over just like that?"
I stood in a daze for quite some time before responding, "Yes, it's over. Hao Ren is truly skilled at manipulating people's emotions. Compared to him, Zhang Bin is utterly weak. I suddenly recalled how Zhang Bin used to be with us; he had seen too many people like this. Their so-called heroism was never their true intention; they were merely pursuing their own goals."
"What goals?" Gu Chen asked, looking into the distance.
I replied slowly, "Hao Ren has always wanted to open a martial arts school. Is it possible that from the moment he acted heroically, he aimed to promote himself? He wanted fame and money."
Guan Zengbin frowned. "Could it be? Is it really necessary to rely on such means to fulfill his dreams? Wouldn't that tarnish his aspirations?"
I fell silent for a moment before realizing what Hao Ren had told us long ago: "Happiness is happiness; it has nothing to do with how it is obtained."
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