A Lunatic Says He Loves Me: Chapter 49

Chapter 49. Dense Fog 6

Last time, Han Rong concealed an important point from Yuan Fei during the criminal profiling analysis.

The fifth robber must have served in the military and been on the front lines, possessing strong psychological resilience.

From the current reasoning results and the profiling puzzle, it seems to point to one person.

The person in the MMS sent by Ge Jiaqi is Ou Junsheng during his military service.

Han Rong knew the reason for this—it was simply to make him come in person to verify the accuracy of the profiling.

Someone tampered with the special investigation team’s bus, which departed from Xuezhou City. Was it that the criminal was too deranged, or was someone deliberately steering the conflict toward the city, intentionally misleading him?

What might be waiting for him ahead?

Han Rong felt a slight sense of anticipation.

April in Hucheng was rainy and gloomy.

Ji Yan was celebrating his birthday with the clan elders, and had to catch a flight early in the morning. In his hurry, he forgot his phone while preparing breakfast for Han Rong, leaving without it.

Han Rong didn’t get up until late morning. After washing up, he went to the kitchen and found that Demolition had finished his lovingly prepared breakfast. He picked up the British Shorthair by the scruff of its neck, like a small chicken, and tossed it into the cage. He drove to the pet store on the street and handed the cage over to the staff.

“I’ll pick you up in three days.”

He didn’t pet or cuddle, didn’t smile or look back, just like the storybook characters who leave without a backward glance.

“Meow.”

Demolition meowed unusually obediently, resting its head on its front paws and looking wistfully at his departing back.

Ou Junsheng owned a property in Hucheng, located in a mountain-top villa area. It was a remote and desolate place with very low occupancy. Even if someone were to run naked, no one would come out to watch. As soon as the special investigation team ran into trouble, he came from the city to take over the 713 case. Ling Feng, on the other hand, was sent to the frontier to work at the funeral home, helping Bai Xinhuai with makeup for the deceased, supposedly to reflect Hucheng’s cultural care, so they sent the Serious Crimes Unit leader, a forensic expert, to attend the funeral in style.

Yuan Fei’s text messages came one after another. Han Rong turned off the phone’s sound, parked at the foot of the mountain, and slowly walked up.

Hucheng was not a small place; the wealth gap was quite pronounced. Over the years, reforms were gradually being implemented, but the situation did not improve much. It seemed that a few bold reformers were needed to shake things up; it felt as if a few sharp cuts could cause this crumbling city to collapse.

Han Rong initially disliked Hucheng, wishing he could use tanks and cannons to flatten the city riddled with pests. He still didn’t like it, but now he aimed his tanks and cannons at the pests.

“Han Rong, you’re here,” Ge Jiaqi greeted with a black umbrella, standing at the door with a smile, “What brings you here?”

Han Rong replied, “Probably for a similar reason to yours.”

“You came at just the right time. We were discussing the most crucial part, and we definitely need you,” Ge Jiaqi led the way, bringing Han Rong into the villa.

Han Rong was unsure of what Ge Jiaqi and Ou Junsheng were plotting, but all the idle people were cleared out. As Han Rong walked through, he did not see anyone else around.

“Sorry, I went to pick up a guest. Now we can continue,” Ge Jiaqi put away his umbrella on the rack in the foyer and continued walking inside, saying, “I know you still have a batch of gold bars with the calla lily commemorative edition. You can’t dispose of them due to your status, but I can help. As you know, I am an honest businessman, willing to negotiate.”

“Who’s been feeding you such unrealistic news?” Ou Junsheng, standing in front of a mural of Avalokiteshvara with a benign smile, spoke with a humorous tone.

Ge Jiaqi maintained a sincere and reserved businessman’s demeanor, saying earnestly, “Of course, it was Mr. Han who informed me. He is also one of my secret partners.”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop as Ou Junsheng’s gaze turned cold. After a long silence, he stared directly at Han Rong and asked skeptically, “Did Wildfire really send a secret message to you before he died?”

Han Rong replied, “Otherwise, how would we have traced you step by step? There are still some parts I deciphered but haven’t shared with them.”

“Oh? What is it?” Ou Junsheng looked at Han Rong with keen interest.

Han Rong maintained his composure and said, “Of course, it’s something Wildfire hid. You should be very clear on what it is. If you’re not sincere, then there’s no need to talk. Just consider that I haven’t been here.” He turned to leave, but Ge Jiaqi reached out and grabbed his arm, saying to Ou Junsheng, “You also know Mr. Han’s abilities. At this point, he hasn’t exposed your identity; he’s only giving you a chance.”

“A chance?”

Ge Jiaqi replied, “A mutually beneficial opportunity.”

Ou Junsheng looked at Han Rong, seemingly waiting for him to make a statement.

Han Rong spread his hands and said, “You can see I came here alone and empty-handed, so you should know my sincerity.”

Ou Junsheng scrutinized Han Rong, not missing any detail on his face. After a long pause, he said, “Fine. I agree to cooperate, but you must help me deal with the Serious Crimes Unit. Ling Feng is preparing to investigate the 713 special investigation team’s explosion death case.”

Ge Jiaqi asked, “Do you want him to stop intervening?”

Ou Junsheng said coldly, “I want him completely gone!” After saying this, he looked at Ge Jiaqi, with a half-smile, and asked, “Can you do that?”

Ge Jiaqi mimicked Han Rong’s gesture and said, “Ask Mr. Han; he’s the expert.”

Han Rong nonchalantly nodded, “Sure, I can do that. After all, I’m a bit of a madman. Whoever dies in my hands is just bad luck for them.”

Ou Junsheng smiled in satisfaction.

Ge Jiaqi asked, “Can we see the goods now?”

“Of course. I prefer doing business with honest and smart people.” Ou Junsheng turned around and twisted the bottom hand of the Avalokiteshvara mural to the left. The mural slowly lifted, revealing a hidden door.

“Please follow me. The goods are in the basement.”

Ou Junsheng pushed the door open. Han Rong and Ge Jiaqi followed behind him, descending the stairs. The corridor was very dark, with oil lamps flickering on and off. Ou Junsheng walked quickly, gradually disappearing from view.

Suddenly, all the oil lamps went out.

Han Rong’s mind raced, preparing to leave when he felt a hard round object pressed against his forehead.

“Don’t move.”

Ou Junsheng’s cold voice came from behind.

The wall lamps around them lit up, bright as day. Ou Junsheng stood behind Han Rong, holding a gun to his head.

Ge Jiaqi frowned and asked, “Mr. Ou, what’s the meaning of this? Didn’t you invite me to discuss business?”

“Mr. Ge, don’t misunderstand. I trust you, but I don’t trust him.” Ou Junsheng scrutinized Han Rong with a side glance and said with a smile, “You’ve never killed anyone, have you? The look in the eyes of someone who has blood on their hands is different. Your eyes can’t lie. Little demon, you’re too inexperienced. You can’t fool—”

The positions of the two men shifted almost instantaneously.

“You seem to not know enough about me.” Han Rong aimed the stolen gun at Ou Junsheng’s hands, pulling the trigger. With the sound of the bullet firing, the silenced round penetrated his wrists, blood streaming down.

“Never killed anyone, but I can still subdue a killer.”

“Today, Teacher Han will give you a lesson you’ll remember for life.”

A bullet penetrated Ou Junsheng’s knee, causing him to stumble and tumble down the stairs, rolling as he went.

The sounds of pursuit followed immediately, relentless as a shadow.

“When aiming a gun at your enemy, don’t stand there spouting nonsense, or you’ll get countered.”

A bullet pierced his shoulder, causing him to convulse in pain, unable to scream.

“I’m not interested in the hardships of your childhood, nor do I sympathize with how tragic your situation is, or whether you were coerced into crime. All I know is, if you’ve done something wrong, you should be prepared to pay the price.”

Han Rong stepped on Ou Junsheng’s chest, aiming the gun at his forehead, and coldly asked, “Where is Ding Ding?”

Ge Jiaqi gently said, “Mr. Ou, with so much money, I’m sure you can’t spend it all. If you spill a little, you might redeem yourself. But if Officer Ding Ding is harmed… you might not make it out of this basement today.”

They were performing a perfect duet, with one playing the soft-spoken role and the other the harsh one. Ou Junsheng, evidently unable to bear the pain and fearing that Han Rong might actually kill him, revealed Ding Ding’s location, “He’s locked in the warehouse of the sixth fishing boat at Dock No. 5.”

Han Rong withdrew his foot and took out his phone to notify Ling Feng. With poor signal in the basement, he turned to leave and discreetly slipped Ji Yan’s phone into the base of a wall lamp in a hidden passage.

Han Rong made a call from the living room, “Ling Feng, Ding Ding is—”

At that moment, a gunshot rang out.

Ling Feng’s heart skipped a beat at the sound, then he shouted, “Han Rong! Where are you? What’s happening?”

“Nothing.” Han Rong came back to his senses and quickly summarized, “Ding Ding is locked in the warehouse of the sixth fishing boat at Dock No. 5. Send people over quickly. I’m at Ou Junsheng’s place; he’s been shot dead by Ge Jiaqi.”

“Ge Jiaqi has a gun? Why aren’t you escaping?”

“No need to panic. I have one too. My shooting skills are better than his.”

Ling Feng: “……”

Han Rong hung up and returned to the basement. Ou Junsheng’s chest wound was gushing blood, and his eyes were wide open, as if unable to close in death.

“You’re not short on money; there’s no need to rob banks with such fanfare. The 713 case shouldn’t have anything to do with you. So, what’s your deep grudge against Ou Junsheng?”

Ge Jiaqi smiled and said, “I won’t tell you.”

“Then who leaked the progress of this case to you?”

“I won’t tell you either.”

Han Rong said, “Regarding the case of the elementary school student who was raped and killed, I did a criminal profile based on the clues left in the case files from back then. The school bus driver was the prime suspect. But three years ago, he was tortured to death at home, and the killer hasn’t been found yet. Forensic examination determined the murder weapon was something like a surgical knife.”

They stared at each other in silence for a moment, then Ge Jiaqi grinned, “You won the bet. What reward do you want?”

Han Rong politely asked, “How about sending you to prison for your retirement?”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible.” Ge Jiaqi smiled more courteously, “Sorry, I’m mentally ill.”

“A serious mental illness.”

Han Rong’s expression grew more serious as he stared silently at Ge Jiaqi. After a while, he sneered, “It seems you arranged an escape route before coming to find Ou Junsheng.”

Some people can pretend to be normal by mastering the tricks of psychological tests, while others can fake illness to evade legal consequences using the same methods.

“Don’t be too smug.” Seeing Ge Jiaqi’s bright smile, Han Rong poured cold water on him, “Justice may be delayed, but it will not be absent.”

Ge Jiaqi humbly asked, “Mr. Han, what do you think justice is?” But he didn’t expect Han Rong to answer. Instead, he continued, “For ordinary people, killing their enemies is the true form of vengeance. The murderer of your mother is still alive, and as long as the stolen money is not recovered, he will live another day. Are you going to waste time with him to see who dies first, or are you going to help the police recover the stolen money as soon as possible?”

“You know what kind of place Qiqi Prison is. What does it matter if Zhang Zhepeng is still alive?” Han Rong kicked Ou Junsheng’s corpse and smiled, “His protectors are gone, and what awaits him next is a fate worse than death. Rather than handing the stolen money over to the police and getting a Good Citizen Award, I’d rather enjoy myself.”

In almost an instant, Ge Jiaqi understood the hidden meaning in his words, “Do you know where Wildfire hid the things?”

Han Rong said, “With your wealth, you shouldn’t be concerned about that.”

Ge Jiaqi smiled, “Who wouldn’t want more money?”

The long and piercing wail of police sirens pierced through the night.

Ling Feng arrived in a flurry with a large team and saw Han Rong and Ge Jiaqi chatting cheerfully over a corpse, an epitome of absurdity.

He stepped forward, snapping a pair of handcuffs with a menacing smile, “Ge Jiaqi, I’m formally arresting you for the murder of Ou Junsheng.”

Ge Jiaqi spoke gently, “There are my medical records at the psychiatry department of the Central Hospital in Xuezhou City. Officer Ling, sorry to disappoint you again.”

“A mentally ill person with no self-control should be locked up in a room and kept quiet!” Ling Feng sneered through gritted teeth, “In all my time, I’ve only encountered two people as audacious as you. How about this: I’ll send you to the place where they received treatment.”

“You don’t have the authority to restrict my personal freedom.”

Ling Feng was infuriated by his audacity, “You committed murder within my jurisdiction, and you question my authority?”

Ge Jiaqi smiled, “There are no fingerprints of mine on the gun, so how will you charge me with murder? Oh, I don’t know whose fingerprints were left, maybe Mr. Han’s, or perhaps Officer Ling’s.”

Han Rong said, “So what? I recorded it.” He walked over to the wall lamp and pulled out Ji Yan’s phone, “For such a major case, how could I act on my own? It was live-streamed, and everyone above should have seen it.”

Ge Jiaqi asked, “So they heard what we said as well?”

“I don’t know about that. Ji Yan, how’s the situation over there?”

Ji Yan responded, “After Mr. Ge put on gloves and killed Ou Junsheng, the network suddenly went down. It’s only just reconnected. What happened afterward?”

“Nothing happened.” Han Rong flashed a harmless, radiant smile at Ge Jiaqi, “The signal here really is poor.”

Ling Feng forced a smile and said, “Congratulations, Mr. Ge, you’ve been upgraded to the 717 luxury package.”

Ge Jiaqi lowered his head in silence for a moment, then suddenly realized, “You deliberately walked away to make a phone call. You must have planned this all along, knowing I would come looking for Ou Junsheng.” He chuckled softly and said to Han Rong, “It’s really frustrating. I initially wanted to frame you for a perfect crime, but in the end, it has only helped you.”

Han Rong turned to leave, seemingly having heard nothing.

Ling Feng glanced at his watch, “It’s about time. They should be arriving. Escort Mr. Ge to the car.”

Outside the villa, a blue-and-white 717 hospital patient transport vehicle was parked.

“You’re too cruel.” Ge Jiaqi smiled faintly, “You wouldn’t spare him but used my knife to kill.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Han Rong didn’t look at him, casually putting his hands in his pockets as he walked down the mountain.

****

“It was about two or three years after the surgery that Wang Yun’s cancer recurred. Wildfire, influenced by his family, became somewhat superstitious and believed it was because the money for treatment was unclean. Wang Yun was dying, and when Wildfire heard that the case was going to be investigated, he wanted to turn himself in, thinking maybe he could turn his life around and have heaven spare Wang Yun. Of course, Ou Junsheng wouldn’t have any of that and decided to silence him. Wildfire told me before he died that if he managed to escape, he wanted me to go to the place he had mentioned. I was dumbfounded at the time because he never told me the address! Ou Junsheng thought Wildfire had shared the secret with me and thus spared my life.”

Officer Ding, who had survived numerous perils, lay in the hospital bed recounting the story.

Bai Xinhuai peeled a rabbit-shaped apple and placed it on a plate.

“Good knife skills!” Ding Ding admired and then asked, “Boss, what about the fat guy and the lunatic?”

Ling Feng flipped a page of the newspaper and said, “They’re out on a mission.”

Yuan Fei was searching Ge Jiaqi’s residence for evidence of his use of online novels and other channels for text-based hypnosis experiments. He picked up a photo of siblings from the bedside cabinet, took a picture, and sent it to the Major Crimes Unit’s group.

Anti-Porn Otaku: Turns out the little girl who was kidnapped years ago is Ge Jiaqi’s half-sister.

Impulsive Second Generation: No wonder he hated Ou Junsheng so much.

Han Rong took the elevator directly to the top floor of the 717 hospital and arrived at the end of the corridor. He opened the door to the room. The room’s layout was similar to the cages in Han Rong’s imagined world. The windows were sealed with iron sheets, and the corners of the room were equipped with 24-hour surveillance.

Ge Jiaqi was a key subject under special observation, prohibited from family visits, and was in shackles.

He sat on the bed, engrossed in a book, which was the foreign language version of “The Divine Comedy.”

Han Rong asked, “Why did you want me to investigate the case of the student who was raped and murdered? Does the death of the school bus driver have anything to do with you?”

Ge Jiaqi countered, “Where did Liu Zhizhou hide the remaining stolen money?”

They stared at each other, one calm, the other smiling.

A nurse called from outside the door, “Visiting time is over. Please leave immediately.”

Han Rong curled up the corner of his mouth, “It’s a pity. It looks like I’ll have to tell you next time.”

Ge Jiaqi nodded slightly, watching him leave, “I’m looking forward to it.”

In the evening, Han Rong and Yuan Fei entered Ding Ding’s hospital room one after the other.

“You came at an inopportune time. Bai Jie and the boss just left. Fatty, did you find anything after searching Ge Jiaqi’s house all day?”

Yuan Fei mysteriously took out his phone and showed a photo, saying, “This photo was well hidden. It took me quite a while to find it. Look, there’s a candle drawn on some of the children’s heads.”

It was a class photo of third-grade students.

“I checked with the unit. Ge Jiaqi was a transfer student at this school for two months. Shortly after he transferred, several students from this school were sexually assaulted and murdered by a pervert! We should investigate this case. It’s been twenty years and still unresolved. The perpetrator is a beast!”

Han Rong replied, “The perpetrator was the school bus driver, and he has already been killed.”

“Delightful! Was his death gruesome?”

“He was stabbed 3,600 times, like ancient methods of execution. The wounds were neat, indicating skilled technique. The criminal’s profession must be either a butcher or a doctor.”

Ding Ding squinted at the photo, his pupils suddenly shrinking. He exclaimed, “Quick, put it away before Bai Jie sees it!”

Yuan Fei asked in confusion, “Why?”

Ding Ding pointed to one of the boys with a candle drawn on his head and said, “That’s Bai Jie’s younger brother. She takes leave every year to visit his grave. Don’t mention this in front of her; it will make her sad.”

Ding Ding continued to ramble on, not noticing when Han Rong left.

“Hmm? Why has it suddenly gotten dark?”

Outside the window, dark clouds gathered, thunder rumbled, and a mountain storm was approaching.

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