Ji Fanyang arrived at the Zhongchuan City Police Bureau early in the morning. As he stepped into the lobby on the first floor, he felt something was off. All eyes were on him, as if he were a fugitive who had been on the wanted list for ten years without being caught. Just as he was about to ask what was going on, everyone turned their heads as if nothing had happened. The abnormality made Ji Fanyang swallow his questions.
He quickly went upstairs and entered the office. Rao Feifei was leaning on the desk. He asked, “Where are the others?”
“Liu Team came at 6:30 and took Captain Xu directly. They are interrogating him in the interrogation room now,” Rao Feifei said, curious, “Why didn’t you come with Team Lu?”
“I…” Ji Fanyang awkwardly found an excuse, “We had a little disagreement.”
“Oh? I didn’t notice anything wrong with Team Lu’s mood this morning,” Rao Feifei said. “Team Lu said you came and went to Interrogation Room No. 5.”
“Okay, thanks,” Ji Fanyang replied dejectedly. He wanted to see Lu Hui before submitting his resignation letter.
Lu Hui, on the other hand, had a good night’s sleep and woke up early. After casual grooming, he took a taxi to the Linhua City Police Bureau. Upon entering the building, he stuck an A4 paper on the glass door of the lobby with “Ji Fanyang is taken” written on it. He knocked on the door frame, attracting the attention of everyone who had just started their work. “Your gentle and warm man, the pitiful little sun oppressed by the big devil, Ji Fanyang, is married to the big devil.” He looked proud and arrogant, “All living beings, whether male or female, whether human or other species, keep at least five meters away from him. Thank you for your cooperation.” He tore off the A4 paper and left with a swagger.
Lu Hui didn’t go directly to the office but turned to the director’s office.
“Xu Changli, I want to interrogate him,” Lu Hui barged into the office.
Director Wang was hanging his coat and turned around helplessly, “You can take me away.”
“Do you know about Xu Changli’s situation?” Lu Hui asked.
“I don’t know, I mean, you wait a moment,” Director Wang straightened out the wrinkles on his coat, hung it on the hanger, then went around to sit behind the desk, folding his arms on the table. “Okay, tell me.”
“We caught Liu Wei and several drug traffickers in a transaction yesterday, and it was too coincidental,” Lu Hui said, pacing back and forth like an anxious hyena. “I don’t believe it’s just a coincidence.”
“Just catching them is not good enough for you?” Director Wang teased. “Xiao Lu, I think you’re looking for trouble when there’s none.”
“The information provided by Xu Changli, he said his informant got the news,” Lu Hui said. “I checked the files, and there is no informant of ours in the Liu family. His informant is Liu Wei.”
“Oh, so why would Liu Wei let herself be caught?” Director Wang asked.
“Because it wasn’t Liu Wei who told me,” Lu Hui said, trying to clear up the twisted logic. “It was Xu Changli himself who wanted to betray Liu Wei. Yesterday, we didn’t bring guns, and Liu Wei and the drug traffickers all had guns. Xu Changli cut off the phone. If it wasn’t for Captain Wei bringing reinforcements outside, we and Liu Wei and the traffickers would have all perished. If we all died, Xu Changli could have walked away cleanly.”
“I understand what you mean. What about the evidence?” Director Wang asked.
“First, handcuff Captain Xu. I’ll have someone apply for a search warrant, and we’ll search everything in Liu’s house from top to bottom,” Lu Hui said.
“What if you’re wrong about Captain Xu?” Director Wang asked.
“The responsibility is on me, and I’m willing to accept the punishment,” Lu Hui said.
Director Wang smiled, “You’re just teasing me. You’re an external consultant. The one making decisions is me, not you. How can the responsibility fall on you?” He picked up a pen and wrote a few words, then dialed a number. “Control Captain Xu, send him to Interrogation Room No. 4.” Hanging up the phone, Director Wang looked at Lu Hui. “I’ll believe you for now, but my heart is not as good as Director Gao’s.”
“I’m going to interrogate Liu Wei,” Lu Hui said. He turned and put his hand on the doorknob, hesitated for a while, then whispered, “Thank you.”
Director Wang laughed, and there was no denying that Lu Hui’s “thank you” made him feel much better.
Lu Hui took Liu Wei to Interrogation Room No. 5. As he walked in, Liu Wei sat behind the table with a proud expression on her face.
“When people meet, it’s not a happy occasion, is it?” Lu Hui picked up a teacup, took a sip, and said eloquently, “Long time no see, Miss Liu.”
Liu Wei sneered at him but remained silent.
“Good people don’t live long, and misfortune lasts a thousand years,” Lu Hui said, pacing. “While you were plotting to kill me, why didn’t you think about this principle?”
“Do you think babbling can make me say what you want?” Liu Wei sarcastically retorted.
“No, I just want to annoy you,” Lu Hui smiled. “Just the charge of large-scale drug trafficking is enough for you to get the death penalty. However, I want more to please you. I want to see you break down, just like your father did to me.”
Liu Wei stared at Lu Hui’s mouth as it moved. She inexplicably felt a sense of fear.
“Liu’s family collapsed in an instant, thanks to me, thanks to you, and more thanks to you, and your father,” Lu Hui said. “I know you had your brother meet with the Wenhutang, and you instructed Du Chengwu to switch your brother’s goods, provoking Wenhutang. If I hadn’t appeared in that warehouse, it would have been Wenhutang who killed your brother. Just because I killed Liu Huairui, your father considered me his enemy. However, it was you.”
Liu Wei smiled, “So what?”
“Nothing, I plan to tell Liu Kai exactly that,” Lu Hui spread his hands. “You’ve always hated Liu Kai. He favored his sons over you, cared more about Liu Huaizhou, even more than his teacher, Liu Huaizhen. You worked for the family, but he never valued you.”
“Through my hands, you killed Liu Huairui. Du Chengwu knew he would eventually be targeted by Liu Kai or silenced by you. So, he devised a brilliant plan to let his compatriot brother, Du Chengxian, die for him, while he, as Du Chengxian, gained a wife and daughter—a perfect swap. What’s even more ingenious is that he stole a ledger as evidence for self-preservation,” Lu Hui said. “When Liu Kai caught wind of the situation, he forced me to kill Wang Yinyin. Unfortunately, you never knew when to stop.” Lu Hui took a sip of tea to soothe his throat. “Just when Du Chengwu used his connections to find the video and make it public, you sensed trouble, killed Du Chengwu and Wang Jing, and took Du Huan Yue. You wanted to find that ledger, and Liu Kai wanted him dead.”
“So, Liu Kai killed Du Chengwu, and you killed Wang Jing, right?” Lu Hui’s pitch-black eyes seemed to hide sharp edges. “Of course, I didn’t plan to make you confess. I believe the little lackeys under the Liu family would enthusiastically participate in this wall-falls-everyone-pushes activity, actively contributing to seek a reduction in their sentences.”
The door of the interrogation room was knocked, and Lu Hui suddenly smiled. “Do you remember your little fiancé, the one named Fan Zhe?”
“What?” Ji Fanyang, who was in a heavy mood, was confused by Lu Hui’s joyfulness. “What’s going on?”
Lu Hui stepped aside, letting Liu Wei see Ji Fanyang. “Meet your fiancé. I’ve been looking forward to this scene of husband and wife meeting.” He pulled Ji Fanyang’s arm and sat down at the table. “It’s a pity we don’t have melon seeds and potato chips.”
“You…” Liu Wei was somewhat incredulous. She looked at Ji Fanyang, astonishment and suspicion filling her voice. “What are you doing here?”
“Let’s get to know each other again. This is Officer Ji, my current boyfriend.” Lu Hui leaned on his chin, smiling. “He’s quite pleasing to me.”
“What?!” Liu Wei looked at Ji Fanyang.
“Wait a minute.” Ji Fanyang looked at Lu Hui. “What did you just say?”
“Some things can only be said once, no second chances.” Lu Hui patted Ji Fanyang’s shoulder.
“All right, I like you,” Ji Fanyang said. “Say it again.”
Lu Hui looked at the increasingly cunning young man and repeated, “You’re my boyfriend. Are you mature or not?”
“Not as much as you.” Ji Fanyang turned to the long-neglected and somewhat dazed Liu Wei. “Miss Liu, long time no see.”
