A Lunatic Says He Loves Me: Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Eighteen Levels of Hell 3 

“It may be difficult。” Yuan Fei said, “Jinjiang Headquarters is in the Xi Province, and the investigation requires superior documents.”

Ling Feng patted his shoulder, “I’ll figure something out. You guys go ahead and take action.”

Han Rong asked, “Why isn’t Bai Jie here?”

“I asked her to go to the scenes of the first four victims to see if there are identical talismans. Let’s get in the car first, I’ll take you guys home. It’s been a long day, you must be tired.” Ling Feng drove away like the wind after dropping off Han Rong and Ji Yan at their apartment.

Once inside, Ji Yan opened the fridge to prepare dinner, while Han Rong collapsed on the sofa, humming weakly, “Don’t cook, let’s order takeout.”

“Takeout is bad for the stomach. You need something light when you’re sick. I’ll go to the supermarket to buy groceries, you rest first.” With the fridge empty, Ji Yan carried Han Rong to the bed before grabbing his wallet and heading out.

“Every day is the same, occasionally there will be sudden whims…” Ji Yan was picking out vegetables in the produce section when his phone rang. A man who was one meter eighty tall and extremely eye-catching actually had such a cute ringtone, immediately attracting the attention of many passersby. The male protagonist remained calm as ever. The phone ringtone was set by Han Rong for him, used for a special contact group.

“Mom.” Ji Yan answered the phone, pushing the cart towards the checkout.

A gentle voice came through, “When are you coming home?”

“What’s wrong? Is something happening at home?”

“What’s wrong, can’t you hope for something good?”

“Your voice shows you’re not happy.” Ji Yan finished paying and picked up the bags, heading home while on the phone.

A chuckle came through the phone, “Nothing escapes you. Your two brothers followed your father and worked outside since they were young, but you grew up with mom by your side. Mom thinks about you and you always know what’s on her mind.”

“What’s going on?”

“I miss my son.”

“Isn’t Gege working nearby?”

A sigh came through the phone, “They’ve been reassigned again. Lao da ¹ went to Xi Province, and the Lao er ² went to Yuzhou City, saying it’s to gain work experience and they won’t be back for a while. You mentioned you were in Xuezhou last time, right? Visit your second brother another day. Yuzhou is right next to Xuezhou, isn’t it?”

“Okay.”

As soon as Ji Yan opened the door, he saw Han Rong sitting cross-legged on the sofa watching TV. He walked over and touched his forehead, feeling it burning hot, “Take some fever-reducing medicine after dinner. If it doesn’t improve, we’ll go to the hospital for a drip.”

Han Rong hugged his waist, looked up at him, and because of the fever, his cheeks turned a rosy pink, which dazzled Dr. Ji’s eyes.

“Ling Feng isn’t even the chief. Do you think he can get an investigation warrant? I think it’s unlikely. Maybe I should find a hacker to hack into Jinjiang’s backend. Ah, that won’t work, randomly attacking websites will just cripple them. It’s us readers who suffer.”

Ji Yan couldn’t resist the temptation and kissed his cheek. Han Rong pushed him away with a smile, “You’ll catch it too. Go cook, I’m starving!”

Ji Yan walked into the kitchen, put the vegetables in the sink, and Han Rong’s smiling face remained etched in his mind, unable to shake it off. After a while, he took out his phone and made a call, “Da ge ³, it’s me…”

Ling Feng returned to the police station and immediately reported to his superiors. The two were needles concealed in silk floss ⁴, going back and forth.

“Isn’t it hasty to classify criminals based on a novel?”

“It hasn’t been classified yet, just preliminary suspicions.”

“Isn’t it too much to apply for inter-provincial investigation based on just suspicion? Perhaps you could collect other evidence first and apply after the evidence is solid?”

“Although the news is still suppressed by us for now, I can’t guarantee when public opinion will explode. Once the media exposes the details of the case, it will cause huge social panic. I hope the higher-ups can actively support our work.”

“I will try my best to help you. But you should be prepared mentally. After all, the scope of the investigation is too wide.”

“Thank you.”

After hanging up the phone, he stayed by the landline all night. Early the next morning, the phone rang, and he immediately answered, “Ling Feng from the Serious Crime Unit, hello?” There was silence on the other end for a while, then a long sigh, “They can’t make the decision either, they want us to apply to the higher-ups.”

Ling Feng tried to control his tone, speaking calmly, “They are our superiors, who else do they want me to report to?”

The leader asked back, “Since the culprit committed the crime in our city, maybe they’re still in our city. Is it necessary to investigate in Xi Province?”

Ling Feng’s anger couldn’t be contained anymore, and he sneered, “Can you guarantee that the culprit won’t commit another crime? If delaying the investigation progress causes harm, can they take responsibility? Yes, they’ve always been the ones holding us accountable. They’re the grandfathers, and we’re just the grandsons!”

“In any case, this matter is settled. As for the deadline, it’s extended from one month to four months,” the tone of Ling Feng’s voice was sarcastic as he chuckled, “Should I kneel down and thank The Emperor for his great grace?”

“Ling Feng!” The senior leader rebuked sharply, “Mind your words!”

Beep beep beep—

A busy tone came through the phone, and Ling Feng hung up.

“Bastard!” Fang Ming looked at the phone in his hand and cursed, “Offending people day by day, and then I have to wipe his a*s!”

The office manager poked his head in, “Commissioner Fang, the investigation warrant has been approved from above. I’ll put the call through for you to listen.”

Fang Ming was astonished, “Are they women? So fickle?” He put the receiver to his ear, and laughter rang out from the other end, “Lao Fang, I never expected you to have such wide connections! The new guy in charge, I heard he attaches great importance, convened a seminar overnight, believing this case has a severe impact on society, and demanded that all departments of the province and city cooperate actively to swiftly solve the case.”

“Huh?” Fang Ming was utterly baffled.

“When the case is solved, let’s have a meal together another day. Introduce me to him.”

Fang Ming: “What are you talking about?”

“Alright. I know that person likes to keep a low profile, I won’t spread it around. It’s settled then! Hehehe.”

Even after the other party hung up, Fang Ming still hadn’t figured out what was going on.

The director asked, “Commissioner Fang, do you want to inform Sir ⁵ Ling?”

“Oh, yes, call him. Tell him he can set off.”

After receiving the notification from the office, Ling Feng immediately took the train to Xi Province. With time pressing, he didn’t have the mind to ponder how the situation suddenly changed above. Upon arrival, he was picked up by the local police. The contact person was called Xiao Liu, and as he drove, he frequently glanced at Ling Feng through the rearview mirror.

Noticing his scrutinizing gaze, Ling Feng asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Officer Ling, you’d better wear a hat, or else I’m afraid you won’t be allowed in through the gate later.”

“Is that crappy website in the bank building?” Despite muttering to himself, Ling Feng obediently put on a gentleman’s hat, covering his bald head.

The Jinjiang headquarters is located in the busiest commercial area. It is said that the readers of the website are wealthy and generous, renting an entire building for their beloved full-time authors to create. As soon as he entered the gate, Ling Feng received attention from all directions. Then, he heard the meowing of cats. Ragdoll, British Shorthair, Burmese, Persian, chubby orange cats… all sorts of cats leisurely strolled around the lobby, accompanied by girls and boys in Hanfu, Lo dresses, and cosplay.

As Xiao Liu walked, he said, “Those who can write at the headquarters are well-known masters. Adu Shisan is just a third-rate writer, so he’s not here. The cats you see are all very precious, some belong to the authors, and some belong to the editors. We’ve caught many cat thieves. You need to pay attention to your appearance, or else someone might misunderstand.”

“I understand.” Ling Feng rubbed the head of a ragdoll cat and followed into the elevator.

The reception room is on the 28th floor, overlooking the beautiful scenery of the entire Xi Province. When Ling Feng entered, there was already a man in a shirt waiting inside. Xiao Liu introduced, “This is Guan San, the vice president of Jinjiang Literature City.”

“This is Sir Ling from the Serious Crime Unit of Xuezhou City’s Hucheng District, .”

Guan San extended his hand, saying, “Officer Ling, nice to meet you.”

“President ⁶ Guan, hello. Thank you very much for supporting our work.” Ling Feng shook hands with him.

Guan San said, “Cooperating with the police to solve the case and apprehend the real culprit as soon as possible is a responsibility and obligation of a good citizen. Without further ado, here is Adu Shisan’s registration information as a member of our website and all the details needed to become an author. This includes his identity information, the bank card account for receiving royalties, and so on. Our accountant is very meticulous, and each time royalties are issued, they cross-reference the author’s identity information with the name of the bank card holder.”

Guan San handed a sealed leather bag to Ling Feng. “If you need further cooperation, you can contact me directly. However, I must emphasize one thing: we are merely a literature website, and we prioritize national interests and safety above all. The actions of individual authors have no connection to us. Adu Shisan submits his manuscripts, and we pay the corresponding remuneration. We have no personal dealings with him. The website is unaware of his actions. If he indeed crosses the legal line, we will fully cooperate with the police.”

“All crimes will be judged by the justice of the law. You need not worry about that, Guan. Thank you for your assistance. We’ll be on our way.” With the documents in hand, Ling Feng immediately began his return journey. On the train, he opened the leather bag and photographed Adu Shisan’s ID information, sending it to Bai Xinhui. “We’re short on manpower. Can you cover Yuan Fei’s tasks and use the police system and media database to look up information on this person? I need everything, down to the smallest detail.”

Bai Xinhui, known for her efficiency, sent back the first report within half an hour.

“Adu Shisan became an author on Jinjiang Literature City in 2014, publishing his first novel ‘My Right Eye Can See Ghosts,’ which was later adapted into a web series. Due to its low-budget special effects, it didn’t gain much traction. In 2017, ‘Yin-Yang Murder’ became a huge hit. The game, anime, and film rights sold well. Later, ‘Yin-Yang Murder’ was taken down across all platforms, and he paid a significant penalty to the contracted parties. Although online novel IPs seem lucrative, contracts like the multimillion ones for ‘Yin-Yang Murder’ typically have strict clauses. If a novel causes negative social impacts, the author must pay hefty fines.”

Ling Feng asked, “How much did he end up paying?”

“Twice the contract amount.”

“Where did he get that much money?”

“His real name is Ge Jiaqi, the youngest son of the richest man in Yuzhou City.”

TN:

Hanfu                                                               

Lo(Lolita) dress

If you're enjoying the story don't forget to support the author! You can also support me on KOFI for site maintenance, raws purchase or as an energy boost~ 

 

AFFILIATE AD

Want to develop your career or work on a new hobby but don't have the financial resources? Check out these courses encompassing all aspects and topics. Want to build your own website or app, but don't even know what <!DOCTYPE> is, how about these IT Courses. Don't want to keep waiting for slow translators to update? 别担心！中文课程来拯救你了! Did you just become a Teacher and have NO idea what the f*ck you're doing? Early Childhood Education For Dummies 101 is in session! Lied on your CV that you can work under pressure but are now hiding in the bathroom playing ostrich? You still have to come up for air anyways so how about taking a Self Development course to manage stress and improve mental health. Whatever you're interested in, at the click of a button. And the best thing it's all for free! And...you can get an accredited certificate! START LEARNING BEFORE YOU'RE TOO OLD TO RETAIN ANYTHING OR GET FIRED FROM YOUR JOB! Or if you are fired, Build A New Resume to reel in the next one~

 

 

Translator Notes

1. eldest child of a family[↩]
2. second eldest child of a family[↩]
3. eldest brother[↩]
4. ruthless character behind a gentle exterior/sheep in wolf’s clothing[↩]
5. it was written “sir” in English[↩]
6. zong – Used as a suffix after a person’s surname in nicknames for people being leader of a company, usually for males.[↩]