Chapter 96

When Song Wen returned to Lu Siyu’s house, it was almost nine o’clock. The lights were on, and dinner was set on the table, with chopsticks and a bowl left for him.

The small villa felt warm and cozy, like an ordinary family home.

Lu Siyu was asleep on the sofa, curled up without a sense of security. Song Wen looked at his sleeping face. From this angle, Lu Siyu’s slender wrist was exposed, his fair and delicate profile slightly furrowed, as if he were dreaming.

Song Wen got up and went upstairs to fetch a summer quilt. Quietly, he covered Lu Siyu with it. Before his hand could lift away, Lu Siyu suddenly trembled his long eyelashes and opened his eyes. For a moment, their eyes met.

“Um… Did I wake you up?” Song Wen apologized slightly.

Lu Siyu rubbed his eyes. “No, I happened to wake up.” Then he pointed to the food on the table. “I’ve already eaten. Do you want to check if it’s cold?”

Song Wen got up to touch the bowls on the table. “It’s still warm, no need to bother.” With this kind of opening, he found it difficult to ask Lu Siyu about his decision to stay or leave.

Lu Siyu lay down for a while longer. When Song Wen finished eating, he sat up from the sofa and asked, “Why did it take so long today? Was it smooth?”

Song Wen tidied up the table. “It’s confirmed with Zhao Liu’er. She’s scheduled to meet with us at the City Bureau tomorrow afternoon. Huo Shaoqing’s return time is the day after tomorrow at two in the afternoon. Once he’s back, we’ll execute the arrest. I’ve prepared and arranged everything with Commissioner Gu. By the way… Commissioner Gu suggested that it’s best to involve the Traffic Bureau in this matter.” So far, things had gone smoothly, despite the many tasks.

“As a leader, Commissioner Gu naturally wants to know how to handle things if they go wrong.” Lu Siyu bit his nails and asked, “Any news from Gu Zhibai?”

Song Wen paused. “He hasn’t been released yet, as far as I left.”

Lu Siyu sighed. “After being caught by Xu Changying, he’ll be more careful to cover his tracks.”

In Lu Siyu’s mind, he couldn’t shake the feeling that all these events were connected to Gu Zhibai. From the incident at the nursing home to what happened to Bai Luorui later on, these events all inexplicably involved Gu Zhibai. It couldn’t be a coincidence.

He even had a hunch that this time, the hit-and-run incident might also be connected to Gu Zhibai in some way.

These people acted with organization and purpose. Who was Gu Zhibai’s superior?

With so much happening, would they take the next step, and how would they respond to the police investigation?

Lu Siyu wanted to sort out these questions, these connections, but the more he thought about it, the more his head hurt.

During this time, Song Wen tidied up the kitchen roughly, so it would be ready for the cleaner tomorrow. He refilled the dog food in Little Wolf’s bowl. After washing his hands, Song Wen saw Lu Siyu sitting on the sofa in silence. Unable to resist, he reached out and ruffled his hair. “Get some rest soon.”

Lu Siyu grabbed his hand and said, “Can you stay with me today? Sleep over at my room.”

Song Wen nodded. “I’ll come up after I finish cleaning up.”

Lu Siyu went upstairs and, after a quick wash, lay down on the bed. Sleep had become a solemn ritual, and the boundary between day and night blurred. Even with his eyes closed, he seemed to see fleeting shadows, like in a dream yet also awake. He didn’t know when Song Wen got into bed or when he fell asleep. Eventually, he woke up because of a stomach ache. When he opened his eyes, he found that it was already daylight, with sunlight streaming in through the window. Glancing at his phone, he saw it was nearly eight o’clock.

Song Wen walked in from outside carrying things and noticed that Lu Siyu was awake. “I made breakfast for you. Little Wolf has been walked too. It’s rare that you’re waking up later than me today.”

Lu Siyu wanted to sit up but suddenly felt a spasm of pain in his stomach. He instinctively pressed the sore spot, and Song Wen noticed something was off. “Are you not feeling well?”

Lu Siyu replied, “I have a slight stomach ache, but I slept fine last night.” Somehow, his right eyelid kept twitching incessantly since he woke up.

“I’ll get you some stomach medicine.” Seeing him looking unwell, Song Wen suggested, “You should take the day off today. Don’t push yourself too hard. We’ve already checked almost everything that needs to be checked. There shouldn’t be much left to do.”

This time, Lu Siyu didn’t insist. He lay back down, still feeling reluctant to let go of the case. He told Song Wen, “I’ll sort out the case at home. Call me if there’s any update.”

He had a strange feeling, the calmer the case seemed, the more unsettled he felt, as if something was lurking beneath the surface, about to emerge from the cocoon.

Watching him take the medicine, Song Wen agreed, “Alright, I’ll let you know if anything comes up.” After gathering his things, he reminded Lu Siyu, “Breakfast is still warm. If you can get up later, remember to eat. As you said last time, my porridge-making skills are not bad.”

After settling Little Wolf, Song Wen left the house. It was late summer, with the heat dissipating and the sunlight outside a bit dazzling. It was peak morning rush hour, and there was some traffic on the road.

Just as Song Wen was about to get onto the expressway, he received a call from Fu Linjiang. His voice sounded urgent. “Captain Song, Zhu Xiao just checked. Huo Shaoqing suddenly changed his flight yesterday and rescheduled it for today. He’s about to land in forty minutes.”

Song Wen was somewhat surprised and exclaimed, “How could this happen?!” This sudden change caught them off guard.

Fu Linjiang replied, “Zhu Xiao said that when she checked yesterday after work, there was no change in Huo Shaoqing’s information. Who knows he suddenly changed his itinerary. Damn it, someone from the Traffic Bureau must have leaked the information.”

Fu Linjiang, who usually spoke politely, couldn’t help but curse. The information about arresting Huo Shaoqing was currently known only to the City Bureau and the Traffic Bureau. It was highly likely that someone from the Traffic Bureau leaked the information.

Suddenly, Song Wen also realized. In the previous case where Chen Yanqiu was framed, the alterations to the CCTV footage seemed like the work of a hacker. But how could a hacker be so familiar with the Traffic Bureau’s archive system? And why did Huo Shaoqing’s DUI record mysteriously disappear? This might be an inside job!

Realizing this, Song Wen immediately calmed down. “Don’t panic for now. Forget about the Traffic Bureau. Take a few people directly to the airport. The City Bureau is about half an hour away from the airport. Although it’s a bit rushed, it might still be possible.”

After some thought, Song Wen analyzed further, “Be careful. Since the Huo family received the information but didn’t choose to hide in another city or abroad, opting to land in South City, they must have a way to deal with the police. When the Huo family receives Huo Shaoqing, they will definitely arrange for him to meet Huo Chen.”

At this point, Song Wen turned the car around. “I’m on the other side of the expressway. It’s definitely too late to rush to the airport. Have Zhu Xiao send me the address of the Huo family. I’ll go talk to Huo Chen directly.” He had kept the Huo Chen lead untouched, but now, given the circumstances, it was time to lay all the cards on the table.

Fu Linjiang responded, “Got it. I’ll set out with my team right away.”

After Song Wen left for a while, Lu Siyu got up, changed his clothes, had breakfast, and felt much better since he had slept all night. However, his stomachache persisted, making him somewhat uncomfortable.

The sunlight outside was perfect, and Lu Siyu sat at his desk. Clenching his left fist against his stomach, he opened his laptop, ready to start writing the investigation report for this case.

From the beginning of the case, they had been relatively passive. The police investigation started with the discovery of Chen Yanqiu’s body, revealing the truth behind the resurrection of the dead. They traced back to a patient support group for terminally ill patients. Later, they discovered that Chen Yanqiu had been involved in a hit-and-run case, and now they were investigating the true culprit of the accident, a sequence of events quite different from when they occurred.

Looking at the analysis report, Lu Siyu sensed that they had been led astray by certain clues, neglecting the essence of the case.

He began to review the case, trying to reconstruct the events along a normal timeline: the car accident, the death of Zhao Youlan, the Huo family orchestrating a way for Huo Shaoqing to escape responsibility, Chen Yanqiu’s involvement in the framing case, reaching a settlement over Zhao Youlan’s death, Chen Yanqiu using the body of Zhang Rui for resurrection, and Chen Yanqiu meeting Zhang Congyun, leading to Chen Yanqiu’s death.

This was the chronological order of events, and what they didn’t know yet was what Chen Yanqiu had done during the time she faked her death and who killed her. What was the motive for the murder?

And concerning the settlement between the two parties, Lu Siyu wrote down the names of Zhang Lili and Zhang Congyun, and added the names of Huo Shaoqing and Huo Chen. The one hundred and twenty thousand was undoubtedly from the Huo family, and with Chen Yanqiu in the middle, one side was the victim of the car accident, and the other was the suspected perpetrator.

There was more information and leads on Huo Shaoqing’s side, making the investigation smoother. Compared to the Huo family, the Zhang family had almost no actions or reactions. Were they really planning to settle and keep things quiet after receiving the money?

He suddenly remembered the last visit to Zhang Congyun’s home and the discussion with Song Wen about the suspicious points during the re-interrogation of Zhang Congyun. What if everything they saw now was just a façade?

Lifting his head again, Lu Siyu looked at the form in front of him. He bit his lip, moved his slender fingers, and swapped the positions of the victim and the perpetrator.

The identity of the victim or perpetrator was just a slight difference. The methods and approaches for the investigation, however, were entirely different. When facing the victim, they felt sympathy, and the investigation would be more lenient.

Lu Siyu bit his thumbnail, looking at Zhang Congyun’s file once again.

Last time, he viewed this file as that of the victim’s family, but now, he considered it as that of a suspect. Zhang Congyun was very clever; he had been admitted to a chemical engineering university early on but did not finish his studies and was persuaded to drop out. Now, thinking back, it was possible that he had done something illegal during his time at school.

He initially entered a chemical factory, but because he lacked a college diploma, his salary was low, and he soon quit.

Zhang Congyun had also been unemployed for a period, with long gaps in his resume. Later, with an urban household registration, he suddenly married Zhao Youlan, who came from a rural background.

Many overlooked details were now being revealed, and his previous profile of this person was not complete.

Zhang Congyun had the motive and the conditions for committing a crime… more importantly, he was undoubtedly in love with Zhao Youlan.

The death of Zhao Youlan might greatly stimulate Zhang Congyun.

Zhang Congyun had met Chen Yanqiu before and obtained some information about the framing case from him…

A widower who lost his wife, and a fugitive who was about to die of illness…

Thinking of this, Lu Siyu hurriedly called Zhang Lili. “Hello, I wanted to ask if your father is available. I have a few questions for him.”

The woman on the other end of the phone sounded flustered. “Officer Lu, my father went out yesterday afternoon and said not to wait for him for dinner. He didn’t come back all night… I just called him in the morning, and his phone is off. I was considering whether to report it to the police.”

“Don’t worry yet.” Lu Siyu’s right eyelid twitched again. “Do you know where your father might have gone?”

Zhang Lili hesitated for a moment. “He didn’t say, and he’s been very secretive lately. I feel like he’s hiding something from me…”

Lu Siyu continued, “I saw in your father’s file that he was fired from the first factory he worked at. Do you know what happened then?”

“That… it was before my father got married. I heard from my mother later on. There was a salary adjustment at the factory, and he wasn’t satisfied with the result, so he stabbed the factory leader. Of course, it wasn’t too serious… so after negotiations, he was just fired. He used to be quite irritable, and my mother always comforted him… Now that my mother’s gone, he’s been quite calm…” These experiences were not very honorable, so the file was written rather vaguely, and she hadn’t mentioned it before.

“What about the blank period in his records the following year? Do you know what he did then?” Lu Siyu had seen this segment in Zhang Congyun’s file and was now suspicious.

“He worked in a black workshop in a rural area, where they produced fireworks, firecrackers, and some prohibited items…” Zhang Lili paused for a moment, realizing the problem. “I… I’m starting to worry about my father.”

Lu Siyu furrowed his brow slightly. He suddenly remembered something and asked Zhang Lili, “Can you check if the bottles your father had placed on the balcony before are still there?”

There were rustling sounds on the phone, indicating that Zhang Lili was searching for something. “…many of the bottles are empty, strange. Just a few days ago when I cleaned, they were all full…”

Lu Siyu broke out in a cold sweat instantly, trying hard to stay calm. “I see. I’ll report to my superiors here and help look for your father. If you manage to contact your father, please let me know.”

Lu Siyu suddenly felt cold all over. He immediately dialed Song Wen’s number. “Captain Song, I’ve received new information.”

Song Wen responded, “Hmm, go ahead.”

“Just now, I called Zhang Lili. Zhang Congyun hasn’t returned home since yesterday, and his phone is now off. And… he might be carrying dangerous items…”

Then Lu Siyu continued, his voice trembling, “When we were thinking earlier, we fell into a misconception, thinking that the Zhang family were victims’ relatives, overlooking the possibility that they might harm others. I used to think that he became peaceful and stubborn with age, but now I think… perhaps Zhao Youlan was the key. Considering what Zhang Lili said about her father’s strange behavior after her mother’s death, I think… Zhang Congyun… may have been planning something all along…”

They had been investigating past crimes but overlooked the potential impending bloodshed.

In life, Zhao Youlan might have been Zhang Congyun’s fire extinguisher. The hatred of losing a loved one was like a saw cutting through flesh, tormenting every nerve, especially in the quietest moments of the night.

Sometimes, letting out anger would relieve the tension, but when suppressed, it might accumulate and turn into malice. The calmer Zhang Congyun became, the more frightening he seemed.

“Zhang Congyun had incidents of fighting and injuring others when he was young, but it wasn’t detailed in the files. He had a criminal tendency, worked in an illegal workshop, possibly gaining expertise in handling dangerous chemicals. Moreover, his deep emotions for Zhao Youlan and his acquaintance with Chen Yanqiu suggest that he knew the hidden truth behind the framing case a long time ago. They might have been investigating the truth since long ago.” Lu Siyu now recalled that Zhang Congyun had always hidden his motives, downplayed his sorrow, but those emotions were revealed in his abnormal behavior.

Song Wen also felt an ominous premonition. “Do you think he might be seeking revenge against Huo Shaoqing?”

Lu Siyu nodded. “He wants revenge.”

“An eye for an eye.” Lu Siyu fell silent for a moment, then uttered these words with his hand on his forehead. For such an elderly person, he might resort to anything without any moral constraints. “I noticed a detail. Do you remember? The last time we went to Zhang Congyun’s house, we saw many bottles and cans on the floor. Initially, I thought it was garbage collected by Zhao Youlan. However, later I thought, in such a messy house, those bottles were neatly arranged… I asked Zhang Lili just now, and those jars suddenly became empty.”

After saying so much, Lu Siyu’s stomach began to ache again. He took a deep breath and mentioned the worst possible outcome. “Those might be dangerous chemicals. If not explosives, then toxic chemicals. With so many bottles, the total quantity might not be small. I think he might have been waiting for Huo Shaoqing to return to the country.”

Zhang Congyun had been silent for half a year and planning for half a year. He seemed to be sharpening a knife, waiting for an opportunity. The police investigation and visits might have stimulated Zhang Congyun more, accelerating his actions.

With this, everything made sense.

“I’ll have Lao Jia bring people to Zhang Congyun’s house to check those bottles, confirm if they contained dangerous chemicals, and identify what they were,” Song Wen said, making arrangements. After a moment of thought, he asked Lu Siyu, “I still don’t quite understand. How did Zhang Congyun know about Huo Shaoqing’s specific whereabouts?”

Lu Siyu felt there was a missing link, and Song Wen asked just as they reached an intersection, causing a delay and prompting honks from behind.

“I haven’t figured out these doubts completely. Perhaps there are hidden details. Now it seems we must find Zhang Congyun as soon as possible.” Lu Siyu heard the honking and asked, “Haven’t you arrived at the City Bureau yet?”

Song Wen told him, “There’s a bit of a complication on our end too. Huo Shao returned early, and Fu Linjiang has already rushed to the airport to detain him. I’m heading to meet Huo Chen now.” He paused and added, “If Zhang Congyun really wants revenge, he might have known the news earlier and started moving from yesterday. That’s why he was absent the whole night. Now, it depends on who can find Huo Shaoqing first – the Huo family, the police, or Zhang Congyun.”

Lu Siyu replied, “Alright, be careful.”

After ending the call, Lu Siyu thought about Song Wen’s final question. How did Zhang Congyun confirm Huo Shaoqing’s return information? As he pondered this, his right eyelid twitched again. Lu Siyu licked his lips, suddenly thinking of a possibility… unless…

Starting from this case, due to his health issues, he couldn’t concentrate. Now, all the clues finally connected.

It turned out that merely understanding those crimes was not enough; they didn’t even have enough time to prevent them.

Unable to sit still any longer, Lu Siyu stood up and tried to walk out, but in his haste, he knelt down on the floor.

Then Lu Siyu realized that Song Wen had taken away his painkillers. With this thought, the pain in his stomach intensified. After a few seconds of rest, he staggered to his feet. In the midst of the pain, his dependence on medication expanded to the extreme.

His breathing became difficult, and his heart raced, reaching a limit. He had never desired those drugs so urgently.

The surroundings gradually blurred, tilting. Lu Siyu, holding his stomach, entered Song Wen’s room. He didn’t care, searching through everything to find those drugs, but there were none… still none.

Cold sweat kept pouring out, and Lu Siyu felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. He couldn’t help but cough lowly, blood tinged with a metallic taste rising in his mouth. It felt like claws were scratching inside him, blood flowing freely.

At this moment, he urgently needed those drugs. Even if they were poisonous, he wanted to swallow them in one gulp…