Pursuit and Capture
“Master, once this money is taken out, Jingtai’s entire existing fund chain will completely breakā¦” Faced with the butler’s earnest persuasion, Lin Youyuan only trembled as he handed over the signed document.
“No need to persuade me further, go ahead and do it.”
Butler Lin fell silent, and after a long moment, he let out a deep sigh and took the document out.
In the dark room, dressed in a nightgown, he sat alone in a wheelchair facing the window, watching the heavy rain pour outside. In his hand, he caressed a somewhat rusty pistol, his eyes filled with a complex emotion.
“Old Song, ah, he has finally come back, hasn’t he?”
(LP: What?! He knows Song Yuhang’s father?! Is her father involved with that case afterall?!)
Around 7 or 8 in the evening, it’s the perfect time for people to unwind after dinner.
The teahouse buzzes with lively conversations. The servers, dressed in traditional attire with a white towel draped over one shoulder and a gray cloth apron tied around their waist, respectfully place a pot of tea on the nanmu table.
“Sir, here’s some top-quality Bi Luo Chun tea (green tea) for you to enjoy.”
As the server is about to warm the cup, they’re stopped with a gesture.
“Thank you, no need. I’ll call you if I need anything else.”
The waiter paused, meeting the elderly man’s gaze. Although his temples were streaked with white, his eyes held an indescribable majesty. The young man’s heart skipped a beat, and after bowing deeply, he retreated, not forgetting to close the private room’s door behind him.
Through a carved wooden window, the melodious voice of a Daomadan (a female warrior role in Peking Opera) from downstairs reached its climax, singing, āMany heroines have also made their contributions, fighting for the country and slaying enemies. Through generations, heroines emerge. In what ways are these women inferior to menā¦ā
As the sound of clappers intensified at the most stirring part of the performance,
A woman entered the room, removing the hood of her raincoat to reveal a beautiful face.
āYou’ve arrived,ā greeted the elderly man.
Without saying a word, the woman snatched the tea from his warm cup and drained it in one gulp, then wiped the water droplets from the corner of her lips with the back of her hand.
“Pour me another, pour me another. I’m thirsty.”
Feng Jianguo shook his head helplessly. To drink from the warm cup, how crude indeed, showing none of the demeanor expected of a lady from a wealthy family. But perhaps this was for the better. It was precisely because Lin Yan had experiences from the lower strata of society and had mingled with all sorts of people, her adaptability was extremely high, making her the perfect candidate for undercover work.
He poured her another cup of fine tea and pushed it towards her.
“Hard work.”
Lin Yan tugged at the corner of her mouth, shaking her head with a scornful laugh. She took the cup of fine tea, gulped it down in one go without savouring the taste.
“Enough small talk. It’s not easy coming out here. Wang Qiang is dead, and I didnāt get to see the Supreme Lord.”
Feng Jianguo nodded indifferently, “I know.”
The discovery of a corpse at the construction site had hit the news, a homicide under the jurisdiction of the city bureau.
“I’ll push this down. If the investigation leads to youā¦”
Lin Yan popped a peanut into her mouth.
“No need to bother, your people won’t be able to get anything out of me.”
A slight smile appeared on Feng Jianguo’s lips as he poured himself some tea.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Lin Yan stared at Feng Jianguo’s hand holding the teapot, her voice turning cold.
“Was it your arrangement to have Song Yuhang take people to the Huange Nightclub?”
“Cough, coughā¦” The person drinking tea across from her suddenly choked and waved his hands repeatedly.
“It wasn’t me. The command center issued the order, and as soon as it reached me, I immediately called them back.”
Lin Yan’s face showed an indescribable expression, and even the peanuts didn’t taste good anymore.
“You didn’t want to see her?”
The old man was quite nosy.
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Lin Yan gritted her teeth, “Is it time for a meeting now?”
Damn it, she almost couldn’t maintain her composure, nearly ruining all her previous efforts.
Feng Jianguo understood, suppressing the teasing smile at the corner of his mouth.
“It’s a misunderstanding that turned out to be a test, I guess.”
She had thought that once she faked her death, the mastermind behind the scenes would lay low for a while, and Song Yuhang would be safer. But who knew she would come out of hiding herself, insisting on jumping into the fire pit.
At that moment, Lin Yan experienced a mix of emotions – frustration, urgency, relief, sorrow, and the joy akin to a young girl’s first crush.
She steadied herself and drank her last cup of tea for the day, suppressing the blush on her face.
“Alright, I’ve come to share some important information with you. There’s a shipment of goods worthā¦”
Lin Yan’s finger dipped in tea, traced the figure ātwo hundred millionā on the table.
“And, a buyer has already been found.”
At the hotpot restaurant where the Technical Investigation Team usually dined together.
The air conditioning was turned up high, and the pot simmered with spicy oil, yet hardly anyone had an appetite.
“Captain Song, the city bureau has already formed a special task force for this case, and they’re not letting us continue with it.”
Zheng Chengrui said, still handing over the information he had gathered from the internal network from his bag.
Song Yuhang held the thin sheet of paper, feeling somewhat grateful.
“Thank you.”
Duan Cheng also put down his chopsticks and said, “Today, during the autopsy, I was there holding the equipment. Although my skills are not perfect, I can still tell if a person was burned alive before death or if the body was burned after death.”
“The fatal injury on the deceased, Wang Qiang, was a knife wound to the heart. It was a one-stroke kill, and it was from the back heart. This indicates that the assailant is a very strong individual, most likely a tall, big, and ruthless man.”
“Howeverā¦” He hesitated, seeming afraid to continue.
A smile appeared on the corners of Song Yuhang’s lips, encouraging him with a look.
“You’re correct, that’s a significant improvement. After all, it’s all speculation. It’s fine to speak boldly.”
“If one lacks strength, a forensic expert or doctor with a thorough understanding of human anatomy and the positions of the organs can also deliver a fatal blow.”
The faint smile at the corner of Song Yuhang’s lips completely vanished.
Fang Xin comforted her: “The whole city bureau is working together on this case. We will definitely get to the bottom of it.”
How could Song Yuhang bear to tell them that among the colleagues they trust at the city bureau, there is an invisible mole monitoring their every move? That’s why her transfer and demotion might not necessarily be a bad thing.
She could only hint at it subtly.
“Thank you all, I’ll be leaving now. Don’t tell anyone you’ve seen me here. I’ve already picked up the tab for today, so feel free to enjoy your meal.”
She glanced at Duan Cheng.
He understood, picking up his coat to stand.
“Captain Song, allow me to walk you out.”
As they left the private room, Song Yuhang made it clear she didn’t want Duan Cheng to keep escorting her and turned to look into his eyes.
“I won’t be here for a while, so the three of you should stick together. Fang Xin is a girl and a civilian staff, so take good care of her, and Old Zheng as well.”
Song Yuhang remembered how Old Zheng would always be panting during missions, which brought a smile to her face.
Duan Cheng nodded but was puzzled.
“Why? Isnāt the city bureau very safe?”
Song Yuhang didn’t want to elaborate, gave his shoulder a pat, and left.
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“Call me if you need anything, see you next time.”
Following the address given by Zheng Chengrui, Song Yuhang had already checked two places with no luck. This was the third.
Right upon entering, she was stopped by the security guard at the door.
“Hey, who are you, and what do you want?”
Song Yuhang blinked innocently, handing over a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes.
“Looking for someone, Pei Jinhong, does she live here?”
The security guard accepted the cigarette but still looked at her somewhat guardedly.
Song Yuhang smiled and said, āHey, donāt worry, itās nothing. This lady owes my brother a lot of money. Once we get the money back, we wonāt forget your hard work.ā
As she spoke, she took the initiative to light his cigarette for him.
The security guard seemed pleased. āThe one who moved in a few days ago?ā
Song Yuhangās eyes lit up. āRight, right, have you seen her?ā
“Well, I’ve seen her, lives in Building 5, Unit 1, Apartment 1808.”
Despite getting the satisfactory answer she sought, her demeanor remained calm and unhurried, with a cheerful smile, she said, “Thank you for your help, master.”
“I’m telling you this because you’re a woman. For men, we generally don’t let them visit female residents.”
The security guard poked his head out from the guardhouse, taking the lighter from her hand.
“Alright, but don’t say I told you this, okay?”
Song Yuhang nodded vigorously: “Of course, of course.”
Once she entered the elevator, Song Yuhang put on a peaked cap and a mask. Reaching the 18th floor, the corridor was empty except for cleaning tools and a trolley.
After a moment’s thought, she walked over, pushed the trolley, and made her way straight to door 1808, lightly knocking on the door.
A blinking red light from a miniature camera on the door caught her eye, but thankfully, she was in disguise.
Without making a sound, Song Yuhang pressed the doorbell, “Miss, Miss, are you there?”
The janitor came out of the bathroom to find the cleaning tools gone and cursed angrily.
“Hey, which son of a turtle even steals a broom?!”
It was raining today, and the reflective floor at the door couldn’t help but reveal traces of coming and going, indicating someone lived there. But after knocking for so long with no response, she might not be home.
Song Yuhang took a step back, sizing up the electronic lock with its built-in alarm. She figured the moment she tried to tamper with it, property management and security would be up here in a blink.
She checked her watch and didn’t know who was cursing at her, then sneezed.
After a somewhat lengthy delay, Song Yuhang once again pushed the cart back to the lift entrance and slipped inside, pressing the button for the basement level.
The elusive cleaner returned to the lift area, only to see the cleaning equipment still in place, untouched. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief, muttering, “How bizarre, am I seeing ghosts?”
Descending to the basement parking level, which was also under surveillance, Song Yuhang followed the signs directing her to the parking spaces for Building 5.
Finally, in a corner on the ground, she spotted quite a nasty scrape of white paint, hastily marked with a few Arabic numerals: 180.
The half of the “8” was obscured by the rear tire of a white sedan.
This must be Pei Jinhong’s parking spot.
Song Yuhang surveyed the car, noting that it was neither too high-profile nor too shabbyāit suited her identity and status well.
No one was home, and the car hadn’t been used; this indicated that the errand she was on was shrouded in mystery, one she didn’t want others to know about, and the destination likely wasn’t far.
Whether taking public transport or a taxi, both carried the risk of being captured by surveillance cameras. Walking was the only option to blend into the vast crowd without drawing attention.
Pulling out her phone, Song Yuhang unlocked it and zeroed in on a few locations before quickly making her departure.
Before the song ćHua Mulanć finished, with the opera singers on stage passionately continuing their performance, Lin Yan had already left the teahouse, donning her raincoat and hood again.
She purposely chose a different route to return along the long street, the deep alleys reflecting the silhouette of the person following her in the puddles on the ground.
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Lin Yan glanced back, without showing any reaction, and turned into a side alley.
The person behind her hurriedly followed into the alley too.
As Lin Yan quickened her pace, so did the person behind her.
As she slowed her pace, the figure shadowed her, neither too close nor too distantāclearly, she was being followed.
Lin Yan’s lips curled into a cold smirk. In a swift motion, she ducked into an alleyway, pressing herself against the wall. She watched as the pursuer glanced left and right, seemingly hesitating, before decisively coming her way.
She lifted her hand, tossing her raincoat into a trash bin to lighten her load, and then stepped into the puddle, beginning to run swiftly.
Seeing the sound of the follower’s footsteps fading, she was about to burst out of the alley, where several taxis were parked across the street. Getting into one meant escape.
A flash of joy appeared in Lin Yan’s eyes as she hurried over, only for her expression to freeze, stunned on the spot.
Song Yuhang tossed her cigarette away, standing up from under the streetlight. She didn’t bother with an umbrella, letting the light rain fall on her face.
She stared intently, as if trying to look into her soul.
“Yo, Miss Pei, we meet again.”
Damn, it’s really a small world when you meet your enemies.
Lin Yan rolled her eyes, almost fainting on the spot.