A Lunatic Says He Loves Me: Chapter 46

Chapter 46. Dense Fog 3

Qiqi Prison is where major criminals in Hucheng District are held, with sentences ranging from life imprisonment to death. As such, visitors are generally not allowed, especially since Han Rong is considered a “special patient.” Fortunately, Ling Guangtou managed to pull some strings and quietly had the back door opened to let Han Rong in.

Prisoners emerge from another room and can only communicate with visitors through a glass window and a telephone.

“Mr. Han, please wait a moment. I’ll have them bring the person out,” the prison guard said before leaving the visitation area to report to the warden. The warden was on the phone with Ling Feng, “Should we have a few more guards on standby? This prisoner is extremely dangerous, and I’m worried your friend might get hurt.”

“…No need. I think it’s the prisoner who might get hurt.”

“What did you say? The signal’s bad here. Can you repeat?”

Ling Feng laughed, “Nothing. I’ll treat you to tea someday. Bye!”

After the arrangements were made, the guard brought a small, skinny prisoner to the visitation area and then left without monitoring the conversation.

The frail prisoner, clearly not expecting to see Han Rong, stood awkwardly and refused to move. Han Rong, showing no extreme behavior and maintaining a polite smile, picked up the telephone receiver and gestured for the other to do the same.

After a moment, the prisoner reluctantly walked over, sat down, and picked up the receiver.

“Long time no see, Zhang Zhepeng,” Han Rong greeted politely.

“What do you want?” The other’s tone was impatient and somewhat panicked.

Han Rong said, “I don’t want anything.”

Zhang Zhepeng replied, “I won’t tell you anything, so don’t waste your time!”

“Strange, I haven’t said anything yet. How do you know what I’m going to ask?”

“Stop pretending! You’re working for the police now! You’re trying to get me to talk! I don’t know anything, nothing at all!”

“You’re well-informed. Do you think I’m here to ask about your accomplices?” Han Rong shook his head. “I’m not that bored or kind-hearted. You should know my methods better than anyone, right? You seem a bit slow in your movements. I guess the arm and leg I broke back then didn’t heal well, and the prison food isn’t helping?”

Mentioning this only made Zhang Zhepeng more agitated, his face turning red as he yelled, “Stop pretending to be a hypocrite! If you have something to say, just spit it out!”

“I remember you have a daughter.”

Han Rong’s calm statement was like an iron grip, ruthlessly choking Zhang Zhepeng into silence.

Han Rong maintained his smile and continued to drop bombshells, “There’s an old saying: ‘The son pays for the father’s debt.’ You must have heard of it.”

Zhang Zhepeng stammered, “W-what do you want…”

“What do I want? Can’t you guess? I’ve waited all these years, and you’re still not dead. The law in this world is really unfair. The police are so useless, I have to take matters into my own hands! You took my mother from me, so I’ll take your daughter from you. Then we’ll be even! The difference is, you’ll be in prison for life, while I, thanks to you, am now an unassailable lunatic. Even if I kill, I have a free pass. Thanks a lot!” Han Rong finished speaking, hung up the phone without giving Zhang Zhepeng a chance to react, and left the visitation area.

“Hey! Come back! Come back—”

Zhang Zhepeng’s sudden scream echoed in the narrow room, sounding especially harsh and pitiful. Knowing Han Rong’s methods of torture firsthand, he was certain Han Rong would follow through on his threats. His small frame hunched over, trembling uncontrollably.

****

On the other side, Yuan Fei finished his interview, returned to the car, and reported to Ling Feng, “After the robbery, many employees left. They were all investigated at the time, and according to the records, there was no issue. Sir Ling, why are we investigating personnel changes?”

Ling Feng asked, “If you were an employee of the bank and robbed it, would you stay on the job?”

Yuan Fei replied, “Yes. The most dangerous place is the safest. Who would suspect me?”

“Hey! You’re quite the tough one,” Ling Feng continued, “As you said, the most dangerous place is the safest. So that employee might still be in Hucheng. I reckon it won’t be long before they realize we’re reopening the case.”

“Won’t that alert them?”

“Exactly, we want to shake them up and throw them into disarray! Rookie, learn from this!”

“Who knows what you’re plotting in secret…” Yuan Fei muttered under his breath before continuing, “Three days before the incident, a teller took sick leave, then called the manager to resign, saying they saw the news on TV, felt the bank was unsafe, and planned to find another job. They disappeared for a while and then returned to Hucheng. But strangely, this employee’s record doesn’t appear in the old files.”

Ling Feng frowned, “Was it overlooked?”

“The people handling the case back then weren’t as diligent as us. Plus, the leadership wanted to minimize the negative impact on society and keep the investigation low-key.”

“And a few years later, that leader stepped down,” Ling Feng gave him a sidelong glance, “Check what this resigned employee is doing now.”

“Oh.”

Ling Feng called Han Rong and briefly explained the situation to him.

Han Rong said, “Prisoners like Zhang Zhepeng, who still have some value, should be isolated, so theoretically, he shouldn’t have any news. But he knows that I’ve been working with the police these years, which means there’s still an insider in contact with him. By the way, you know where his precious daughter is, right? Keep an eye on her.”

Ling Feng, surprised, asked, “His daughter is only seven years old. What could be suspicious about her?”

“I threatened Zhang Zhepeng today, saying I would take his daughter’s life in exchange for his crimes. He was terrified and furious, desperate to come out and fight me. If his daughter is his weak spot, she will soon be protected by the other side.”

“I understand.” Ling Feng hung up the phone. Yuan Fei, who had been listening in, asked, “Why wasn’t scum like Zhang Zhepeng sentenced to death?”

“Why did ancient people emphasize the importance of ‘catch everything in one net ¹ and cutting weeds and eliminating the roots ²’? Because if you catch one den and shoot them all, whether the money is recovered or not, we can have peace of mind, and so can our superiors. But if a few fish escape with the money, neither the captured criminals nor the captors can be at ease.”

Yuan Fei seemed to partially understand.

Ling Feng said, “There must be a reason for keeping Zhang Zhepeng alive.”

“Why doesn’t Zhang Zhepeng confess?”

“If he confesses, do you think the other robbers will spare his family? If he doesn’t, the others will keep his family well-fed and cared for. We have to work overtime tonight.”

Yuan Fei swallowed his frustration.

“Don’t be bitter; I’ll get Han Rong to join us.”

Yuan Fei scoffed, “How will you manage that?”

Ling Feng said, “We’ll work overtime at his place. Let’s see if he joins in.”

“……”

****

After eating and drinking his fill, Han Rong was resting on the sofa when he received a text message from an unfamiliar number.

[How’s the case progressing?]

Han Rong replied: Who are you?

[If you’re at a standstill, we can continue our wager.]

Seeing this, he understood what kind of monster he was dealing with and replied: You really are a psychology expert. My curiosity is piqued. What kind of case haunts you so?

After a long time, the other party sent a message: [The 412 student rape and murder case.]

Ji Yan finished washing the dishes, sat next to him, and started peeling an apple. “Who are you texting with?”

“Ge Jiaqi.” Han Rong put away his phone and leaned forward to ask, “From your professional perspective, does he have a mental problem?”

Ji Yan looked back at him with a blank expression.

Han Rong earnestly added, “I mean from your doctor’s perspective, not just from a deep well ice ³”

Ji Yan replied, “From any angle, he has no issues.”

Han Rong excitedly asked, “So he’s a normal person who can be sentenced to prison if he commits a crime?”

Ji Yan said, “I can’t guarantee that 100%. Many factors can affect a psychiatric evaluation.”

“I understand. Thank you for your professional guidance.” He spoke in a cute manner, blinking at Ji Yan, almost making him lose his composure.

Ji Yan took a deep breath to control his emotions, then gently pulled Han Rong into his arms, ready to play a grand symphony of life’s harmony. However, the doorbell rang inopportunely, accompanied by a pounding knock.

Han Rong analyzed, “Someone knocking at this hour isn’t here for a visit. Judging by the frequency of the doorbell and the force of the knock, it’s probably Bald Ling and his dim-witted son. Go answer it; it might be urgent.”

Dr. Ji opened the door menacingly. Yuan Fei thought “fierce” might be a more fitting description.

“Han Rong, got resources. Want them?” Ling Feng shouted.

Han Rong responded with a smile, “Hurry up and get in here!”

Once inside, Yuan Fei reported, “The employee who resigned three days before the robbery is named Li Qian, currently 42, single, working as an insurance agent, and living in the Huantian District. His job is ordinary, and his house is modest, not seeming like someone who got rich overnight from a bank robbery.”

Ling Feng glared at him, “You think he would announce it to the world? Starting tomorrow, you’ll tail Li Qian.”

Han Rong asked, “Did you get someone to watch Zhang Zhepeng’s daughter?”

Ling Feng replied, “I’m here to inform you that you’re coming with me to watch his daughter.”

“That’s not feasible,” Han Rong said. “If we follow too closely, we’ll scare the prey away. Do you have someone reliable to watch her? Where is his daughter?”

“Liuqie District.”

Yuan Fei suggested, “The Anti-Pornography Unit has a post near Liuqie District. How about I ask them to keep an eye on her?”

Ling Feng said, “The fewer people who know about this, the better.”

Yuan Fei scratched his face, “How about asking Bai Jie to keep an eye on her? We can trust our own people.”

“Let her do it tomorrow,” Han Rong said, standing up and pocketing the fruit knife from the table. Yuan Fei and Ling Feng tensed up, looking at him nervously, and shouted in unison, “What are you going to do?”

Han Rong replied as he walked out the door, “I’ve made my threats. There’s no reason to back out now. Of course, I’m going to her place to loiter around a bit.”

Ling Feng quickly instructed, “Ji Yan, stay close to him. I’m afraid he won’t be able to control himself.”

Ji Yan remained calm, “He won’t.”

“Why are you so confident?”

“He likes kids; he wouldn’t harm them.”

Author’s Note:

PS: Sorry, I got the name wrong. It’s not Wildfire, but Wild Grass… the undercover agent introduced in chapter 8. Later, he was sent by Ling Feng to tail Ge Jiaqi. I’ll correct it when I wake up… too tired now.

TN:

But it was mentioned that Wildfire is Wild Grass other codename in chapter 22 or sth. I don’t know what’s up with the Author’s Note. So I’ll just leave it as Wildfire.

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Translator Notes

1. Catch them all in one fell swoop[↩]
2. Eliminate completely[↩]
3. 深井冰[shēn jǐng bīng] – internet slang for someone with a mental disorder.[↩]