CH 105

Translated by: Crooked

Edited by: Dust Bunny 

Gu Xizhou’s line of sight swept across the inside of the car. It was very new.

There was a hint of old cologne in the air, complex and exquisite while occasionally bitter and occasionally smooth. It was a distinct fragrance.

Gu Xizhou found it a little strange. He remembered when Si Yu came over, he didn’t smell like this unique aroma, but instead a little like tobacco.

The next morning, Gu Xizhou hadn’t left his bed when he heard a whoosh. The curtains were roughly yanked open by a ghost, and the sun shone in directly onto his face. He opened his bleary eyes and rubbed his forehead. 

Which horror movies say ghosts are afraid of the sun? My ghost doesn’t fear the light; it fears the alarm clock won’t go off on time.

After Gu Xizhou got up to wash his face with cold water, he heaved a long sigh of relief. Finally, his drowsiness was shaken off.

The previous evening, the police department received the news that Liao Jun repeatedly transferred money to a man named Bao Guanlin over a month ago, and last night, he transferred 50,000 yuan on his phone to the other’s bank account, for a total of 350,000 yuan.

There’s a lot someone would do for 350,000 yuan, even murder.

Since the news came out very late last night, they still needed to carry out further investigation on the man named Bao Guanlin, so they didn’t take action. They just used his banking information to discern the other party’s address.

After Gu Xizhou drove to the police department——

A projection was put up on a screen, and a female colleague was explaining the situation:

“For the past few days, we’ve investigated the bank transfer records of Liao Shuang’s family, coworkers, and friends and found that his Gege, Liao Jun, repeatedly made transfers to a man known as Bao Guanlin. The sum was 350,000 yuan in total. 

“Through investigation, we’ve found that this man called Bao Guanlin is 32 years old and an outsider. He has no job in Ningqing and no source of income, but there are three real estate properties under his name as well as one car. His income is inconsistent with his situation. The most important point is that his stature and build are very consistent with the killer.

“This man’s hobby is Mahjong. He plays in the city’s underground game room every day.”

Gu Xizhou listened to the presentation and looked at the person in the photo. After a moment of silence, he got up and said, “Let’s go pay him a visit. And watch Liao Jun closely. Don’t let him run.”

“Yes!” 

Finished with his speech, Gu Xizhou took everyone with him to leave. Because the other person might be a suspect, Gu Xizhou and the others didn’t take a police car. Instead, they took a van and Gu Xizhou’s Land Rover parked outside.

“Leader Gu, your car’s fixed? So quick,” said one of the officers in amazement. They had seen the original accident.

Gu Xizhou didn’t explain. He just smiled. He was worried that his coworkers would jump to some strange conclusions if he told them Si Yu gave him this car.

On the road, their journey wasn’t smooth at all. They ran into a traffic jam. Who knew what happened up ahead. Gu Xizhou rolled down the window and looked outside. He only saw a woman carrying a one year old child in her arms and holding several yellow orchids, ambling through traffic. 

The woman walked up to each car and knocked on the window to let the people inside buy one of her flowers. Many people rolled down their windows to give her money, while a few simply ignored her.

The woman’s T-shirt had been washed until their colors had faded and was filled with holes. She also wore an old pale skirt that was so old it could be torn without effort.

“Buy some yellow orchids, ba.” The woman sold her yellow orchids one by one, and her profit wasn’t bad. At this time, she walked to the vehicle next door and leaned down to knock on the glass window like before. Gu Xizhou noticed a young girl was driving the car. The girl rolled her eyes at the woman and ignored her. She didn’t roll down her window.

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“Dage, buy some yellow orchids, ba!” said the woman eagerly.

The coworkers in the car intended to pay her some money when they saw that Gu Xizhou didn’t even glance at her, and he rolled up his window.

The woman’s hand had been holding onto Gu Xizhou’s window, and it was almost squished. The formerly soft woman immediately became hostile, and she hurled abuse, “What the fuck is wrong with you? You don’t have any pity for the child! Even if you don’t buy anything, you almost hurt me!” 

Gu Xizhou ignored her abuse. In the car, a compassionate female coworker frowned and looked at Gu Xizhou hesitantly. “Leader Gu, how about… we buy a few, ba. That child is very pitiful.”

That female coworker was just about to lower the car window when Fang Zhi held down her hand. “If you buy any, that child will only be more pitiful!”

The female coworker looked confused and didn’t realize what they meant. That woman was still scolding them outside: “Driving such a good car and won’t even buy a flower for five yuan. Hehe, not compassionate at all. Sure enough, the hearts of rich people are black! …”

The woman scolded them for a while because the car ahead of them hadn’t moved. Gu Xizhou was too lazy to bother with her. At this moment, the girl in the car next door who’d also refused to buy flowers suddenly rolled down her window and said, “Hey, lady, what do you mean rich people’s hearts are black? I think your heart is black. Where do you think this is? Do I need to tell you? En? A motorway! ‘Motorway’, don’t you know what that is? 

“You scold others as being heartless, but what about you? Every day, you carry around this baby and walk into the road. I see you every day when I start and finish work. Fortunately, there’s a traffic jam today, but there normally isn’t. How dangerous is it for you to take this child and scuttle around on an 80 kph road?

“I’ve always doubted whether this is your biological child. How could a mother do this kind of thing?”

The girl who rolled down her window pelted the woman with abuse, scolding her until she was left speechless. Many other drivers rolled their windows down, and someone said, “Right, ah. I’ve seen you several times. Last time, a Passat almost hit you and your child.”

In the wake of that condemnation, the woman had lost her face. She took her child, turned around, and left the traffic. 

Gu Xizhou turned to look at the car next door and nodded slightly, expressing his gratitude.

The female coworker in the car stared at the back of the woman carrying away the child. She suddenly turned her head and whispered, “That child probably wasn’t abducted, right? How about we take her to the police station?”

“No, it’s her child.” Gu Xizhou explained, “The child didn’t cry when she rocked him in her arms. Instead, he always grabbed at her chest. Maybe he was hungry. The child’s clothing was also pretty neat, and he looked white and fat. He shouldn’t be treated badly.”

Hearing Gu Xizhou’s analysis, the female coworker frowned and said, “Ai, this child is very pitiful… I hope she doesn’t do this kind of thing in the future… Unexpectedly crossing the street is really dangerous, ah.” 

Gu Xizhou smiled. He knew what those car owners meant. Mother’s have been bringing along their children to gain sympathy for a very long time. They sell their flowers and then move on to a different place

One bunch of yellow orchids costs one yuan. She brings a child to sell one for five yuan. Most people think that this isn’t very much, but this woman has obviously had a taste of success and won’t give up so easily.

After waiting for a while, the traffic was cleared. About 20 minutes later, they finally passed the crowded road and hurried to the game room Bao Guanlin frequented. They had just arrived at the door when they found the boss.

“Hello, is Bao Guanlin here today?” Fang Zhi asked leisurely, not showing his police badge. 

“Why are you looking for him?”

The police leader, Lao Guo replied, “Oh, we’re friends that play Mahjong with him.”

The boss frowned and said, “I haven’t seen you, ah. Wait a minute, I’ll ask for you. I just got here.”

Just then, a young man came out from the room with a kettle. The boss promptly called to him, “Xiao Li, these people are looking for Lao Bao.” 

Xiao Li sized up Gu Xizhou’s group, and his eyes turned. It seemed that he didn’t have any good thoughts. He said, “Bao Ge didn’t come today.”

“Didn’t come? Doesn’t he come here every day? Are you sure?” Gu Xizhou looked at Xiao Li, half a head shorter than him. The hand he held the kettle with began to shake, as if he was very nervous.

“Ah… I forgot. Bao Ge came just now. I’ll go in and help you call him out,” said Xiao Li abruptly.

Gu Xizhou raised an eyebrow and looked at his fellow officers. They all realized this guy had a problem. Gu Xizhou ordered, “Follow him inside.” 

The group hadn’t even been inside for two minutes when Gu Xizhou heard the kettle fall to the ground with a bang.

Then, a loud and clear voice yelled, “Run!”

They all dashed inside at once. Immediately after they entered, they saw that the two officers who went first were splashed a bit with scalding water. That Xiao Li turned around and fled, directly climbing out the window.

Gu Xizhou pushed into the room. There were still some red bills scattered on the floor. The people inside had already escaped through the window. Gu Xizhou’s expression was cold. “Lao Guo, you lead a team. Take four people to stay here and seal the game room. The rest of you, split up and give chase!” 

After the plan was arranged, Gu Xizhou immediately climbed out the window. He took a rough glance and found someone who’s height and build were identical to Bao Guanlin’s. Although he didn’t see their face, Gu Xizhou inferred that this person ought to be Bao Guanlin. Meanwhile, there were still three people fleeing.

“Split up and give chase! Be careful!”

“Police, stop running!”

Bao Guanlin erupted with unprecedented speed. His legs were as fast as the legendary scud missile, leaving only  after-images. 

No matter how fast he ran, Gu Xizhou could catch up, but this guy was very familiar with the area’s alleyways.

Gu Xizhou was about to overtake Bao Guanlin when he went around a corner and disappeared into thin air.

Gu Xizhou scoured the street. He couldn’t have run away so quickly. He was probably hiding in one of the nearby shops. He lived nearby, so it wasn’t surprising that he knew one or two people. Gu Xizhou took out his badge and asked, “I’m a police officer! A man in a red t-shirt ran over just now. Did anyone see where he went?”

At this time, the owner of a grocery shop was shocked. He pointed hesitantly at his own store. Gu Xizhou dashed in, but he didn’t see anyone. Instead, he saw a side door hanging open! 

Fuck!

Gu Xizhou quickly pursued. In the distance, he saw a figure fleeing like mad.

Bao Guanlin was so tired he was panting like a dog. He turned back and discovered that he still hadn’t thrown off his pursuer. His face turned ugly. He gulped and wanted to speed up, but he was already going as fast as he could.

The next moment, Bao Guanlin lost his balance and gave an ear-piercing shriek. He fell to the ground and slid for three meters, and his arms were shredded by the ground. 

“Who fucking tripped Laozi!”

“I’ll fuck your mom!”

Bao Guanlin was furious. He wanted to kill the bastard that tripped him, but when he was struggling to crawl up from the ground, he suddenly heard a cold “click” on his wrists, and his hands were directly handcuffed.

After Gu Xizhou caught him, he raised his eyebrows and looked at the man who’d just stretched out his leg. He asked, surprised, “Why are you here?” 

The man raised his hand to block the sun. It was as if his body was shining in the light. He pointed at a nearby building. “Donating money to benefit society.”

Gu Xizhou looked where he was pointing. Unexpectedly, there was actually a child welfare agency. Gu Xizhou raised an eyebrow and looked at the handsome guy in front of him and teased him with a random line. “I didn’t know you were so kindhearted…”

He had just finished speaking when a middle-aged lady with glasses came out with a few children and said to the man, “Mr. Si, thank you for your long term aid to our welfare agency.”

“Uncle, these stars are a present for you.” A shy little boy handed a glass jar full of paper stars to Si Yu. “There’s one thousand!” 

One thousand stars can make your wish come true.

Gu Xizhoun thought this little boy should want to convey that meaning.

“Thank you.” Si Yu thanked him and took the child’s present. Then, he turned to Gu Xizhou with an expression that said ‘I’m very hurt’, and said, “I’ve always been kindhearted.”

Gu Xizhou: “Do you think I’m blind?” 

Si Yu: “……”

At this moment, Bao Guanlin, who Gu Xizhou was holding down with his face against the ground, shouted, “Officer, if you’re going to chat, can’t you give me two tissues? Don’t prisoners also have rights? I have a nosebleed, ah!”

When Bao Guanlin fell down, his nose hit the ground and started to bleed. It looked a bit miserable.

Gu Xizhou frowned and asked Si Yu, “Do you have any tissues?” 

“Here.” Si Yu took out a tissue from his pocket and gave it to Gu Xizhou.

After his nosebleed was wiped, Bao Guanlin lost his energy. The rest of the officers caught up and made a report. “Out of the six people who ran away, four were caught, but two escaped.”

Gu Xizhou ‘en’ed. They could look for the others slowly. Bao Guanlin was their main goal.

“I’m still busy, so I can’t chat with you,” said Gu Xizhou to Si Yu. 

Si Yu nodded to show he understood, and his eyes bent. “Okay.”

Before he left, Gu Xizhou looked at Si Yu again and said, “Also, thank you for ‘extending your leg for justice’.”

Si Yu: “You’re welcome.”

Jinluo Police Department, in the interrogation room—— 

Gu Xizhou was furious. He slapped the pages of information down onto the table and cussed, “You said you didn’t kill anyone. Then, why did you run?”

Bao Guanlin was frightened by Gu Xizhou’s slap and shrank his head back. “You chased me, so obviously I would run!”

“I chased you, so you ran?” Gu Xizhou raised an eyebrow. “Would you run if you didn’t commit a crime?”

Bao Guanlin shut up. In another interrogation room with one of the suspects, Gu Xizhou finally understood why these people ran away——Gathering people to gamble, and cheating at it, already constituted fraud. 

“Don’t think that if you don’t talk, we won’t find out. Gathering people and cheating. Your accomplices have already confessed.”

Bao Guanlin: “Since you’ve found out, then what do you want to ask me?”

Gu Xizhou took out a picture of Liao Shuang and put it on the desk, asking, “Do you know this individual?”

Bao Guanlin picked up the picture and only glanced at it before saying, “That person surnamed Liao with more money than sense. I know him. What happened?”