Chapter 4

Translator: Atlas Studios

Editor: Atlas Studios

“Oh, Tongtong is all better now. Come here, let Mom carry you.”

The gentle lady happily carried the little girl from Zhou Gang’s arms and peppered kisses lovingly all over her face.

The little girl completely stopped crying. As she grabbed the willow branch, she instantly started smiling.

Zhou Gang looked at Chen Hao solemnly and his eyes glinted in confusion.

“Brother, can you explain what just happened?” Zhou Gang finally spoke.

Chen Hao laughed. “It’s nothing much. The child’s grandma missed her and came to visit her.”

Oh!

The happy gentle lady was immediately taken aback, almost causing the child to slip from her arms. She looked at Chen Hao in shock and stuttered, “You… Do you mean Tongtong’s grandma? But she… she…”

“She has passed on, right? If my guess is right, the child was not born when her grandmother passed away. Thus, she left with regrets,” Chen Hao explained calmly.

The woman was stunned, wondering how Chen Hao had actually found out about it.

Zhou Gang’s eyes lit up and said, “Brother, you’ve done a thorough check on my background.”

Chen Hao chuckled. “If you put it that way, I don’t know how I should explain myself. However, this trick of using the willow branch is just a temporary solution. If you don’t handle the situation appropriately, the child will start crying again before she turns three. When that happens, you’ll know if I am right.”

Zhou Gang turned silent, but the woman grew flustered. “Master, please save Tongtong. She’s so young. This is too torturous for her.”

Chen Hao looked at Zhou Gang.

Zhou Gang said, “Huihui, take Tongtong back into the room first.”

The woman opened her mouth but still complied. Carrying her daughter, she stood up and left.

At that moment, Zhou Gang turned towards Chen Hao and asked, “Mr. Chen, you came here for something, didn’t you? Tell me what you want.”

Chen Hao sighed quietly. He was indeed an experienced police officer. The way he looked at him was intense.

Without beating around the bush, Chen Hao said, “Since you’ve already asked me, I’ll go straight to the point. I came here to ask for your help. In Stone City, there’s a degenerate who has been completely disregarding the laws. He has been acting wildly against the laws and has sinned incredibly. I wonder if you would like to get rid of him?”

“Degenerate?” A glint flashed across Zhou Gang’s eyes and he scoffed. “Stone City has always been a safe and secure place where its citizens live and work peacefully. You must be exaggerating.”

Chen Hao pursed his lips and answered, “There is definitely darkness where there is light. This is how things have always been. Captain Zhou, your words do not reflect the truth.”

Zhou Gang asked, “Darkness? What kind of dark forces could exist? Is there a specific person in mind?”

Chen Hao answered, “Wang Hu. He kidnaps girls to sell them as prostitutes. He kills people and deals with drugs. I wonder if these crimes are sufficient to make you want to arrest him?”

Zhou Gang’s face turned solemn as he looked at Chen Hao. “Mr. Chen, we’re living in a world where the rule of the law prevails. You need evidence for everything you say. If your words turn out to be false, you have to pay a price.”

Chen Hao laughed. “Of course I have evidence. Would you dare to act on it?”

Zhou Gang turned quiet.

After a while, he finally answered, “I can let you know that we’ve already filed a case on Wang Hu and are ready to investigate him at any time. The only thing holding us back is that we don’t have sufficient proof. Wang Hu is also under the protection of some people. If we cannot take him down with just one strike, the police force will not act so carelessly.”

Chen Hao said, “I know. This is to prevent taking any rash actions and alerting him. I can offer some guidance to ensure that you can arrest him. After securing all the evidence, no one will be able to clear Wang Hu of his charges.”

Stunned, Zhou Gang looked suspiciously at Chen Hao.

“Are you wondering why I am offering to help you? Who am I and why do I want Wang Hu to be arrested? What secret motives do I harbor?” Chen Hao asked as he chuckled.

Zhou Gang didn’t answer, but it was clear what he was thinking from the look in his eyes.

Chen Hao shook his head and replied, “You might not believe me even if I explained it to you. I want Wang Hu to be punished because one of his dead victims have requested my help. She’s a pitiful lady who was swindled and captured by Wang Hu at a young age. She sold her body for him to make profits and even contracted AIDS. In the end, Wang Hu strangled her to death.”

An incredulous look appeared on Zhou Gang’s face and he stood up suddenly.

“Are you talking about Liu Yue’e?”

Chen Hao was surprised. “Do you know her?”

Zhou Gang shook his head. “I don’t, but Liu Yue’e was a woman who stayed by Wang Hu’s side back then. She suddenly disappeared one day and Wang Hu claimed that she was ill and had returned home to nurse herself back to health. However, Liu Yue’e’s family reported to the police that their daughter had done missing. We’ve investigated her for months but to no avail. It’s still a mystery to this day.”

Chen Hao pursed his lips and said, “Haha, is this what you meant by a ‘safe and secure place’? Indeed, the locals live and work peacefully, but the foreign workers have been subjected to various kinds of abuse and ended up being tools for these criminals. If you don’t resolve this issue, there’ll definitely be even more victims in the future. As the valued protector of the citizens of Stone City, don’t you want to help them?”

Zhou Gang answered calmly, “I’m merely an ordinary police officer. I’m not their valued protector. Moreover, your words are too bizarre and can’t be collected as evidence. They won’t be a threat to the criminals.”

Chen Hao continued, “Of course not. But what if Liu Yue’e can help us to find evidence of Wang Hu’s crimes?”

Zhou Gang looked at Chen Hao seriously and said, “Mr. Chen, I’m a police officer. I don’t believe in the supernatural.”

Chen Hao said, “Fine, let’s not talk about Liu Yue’e. Captain Zhou, shall we make a bet? If you decide to take action, I will lead the way and find you all the evidence of Wang Hu’s heinous crimes.”

Zhou Gang hesitated.

Would it really be possible? Wang Hu was a notorious figure in Stone City and he had long wanted to arrest him.

However, if something went wrong, he had to personally shoulder all the responsibility. if his plans alerted Wang Hu, it would be even harder to capture him.

Chen Hao looked at Zhou Gang contemplate and persuaded again. “Captain Zhou, you only have one chance, and we have to strike fast. Wang Hu has just imported a new batch of drugs, this is the best time to arrest him. It won’t affect me if we miss this chance. I’m helping Liu Yue’e merely for my spiritual practice. However, if the drugs are to be sold to the citizens, it is them who will suffer. I hope you will think it through.”

“Importing drugs? Where?” Zhou Gang frantically asked with a sharp look in his eyes.

Chen Hao laughed but didn’t answer.

Zhou Gang was angered. Why was Chen Hao trying to play the fool with him now? Didn’t he know that from his words, Zhou Gang could simply charge him for intentionally withholding evidence?

“Mr. Chen, you have to understand that there’s only one chance to deal with the evildoers. If you’re deceiving me, you’re sabotaging their lives.” Zhou Gang looked at Chen Hao intently.

Chen Hao replied calmly, “I know. That’s why I came to look for you and not another officer.”

Zhou Gang was silent.

After some time, he said, “Okay, I’ll do it. I hope that you aren’t risking your life for a silly joke.”

After speaking, Zhou Gang picked up his phone and walked to the side to deploy his team.

Seeing that, Chen Hao finally heaved a sigh of relief.

What a suspenseful experience. He had finally managed to persuade Zhou Gang. With that, he had already accomplished half of his mission.