Hechuan City is a nationally renowned sports hub. On Sports Street, located in the bustling downtown area, sit the National Shooting and Archery Training Center, the National Combat Sports Training Center, and the Provincial Athletics Training Center – two national-level and one provincial-level sports training centers. Additionally, official institutions like the Provincial Sports Bureau, the Provincial Sports Center, the Provincial Sports Academy, and the Hechuan City Sports Bureau are also situated on this street. The most striking structures on this street are undoubtedly the Jinqian Gymnasium, reputed to be the second largest in the country, and the Jiliu Sports Shopping Mall. Beyond these, the street is dotted with countless sports training classes and fitness centers, making it one of the priciest areas in Hechuan City.
On this bustling street, there is also a seemingly inconspicuous but sizable area: the Provincial Sports Residential Community. Built in 2002, this community is home to staff from the three training centers and the provincial and municipal sports bureaus. Within the community, there are detached villa courtyards exclusively for national athletes, as well as high-rise buildings for ordinary staff. Ping An's father was a national archery athlete who won three consecutive world championships and an Olympic medal. His mother was a national wrestling athlete who was selected for the national team multiple times and achieved considerable success.
Thirty-five years ago, Ping An's parents fell in love and got married. Following national welfare policies, they were allocated the currently occupied detached villa. Later, with the reform of the commercial housing policy, Ping An's family purchased the house under a very favorable policy.
In Hechuan City, the detached villas within the sports community are highly sought after. These high-end, attached villas feature private courtyards, three above-ground floors, and one underground level. They have a total of six bedrooms, three living rooms, two bathrooms, an attic, a terrace, and a garage, spanning a total of 280 square meters. Based on the current housing prices in Hechuan City, this property is valued at around 22 million yuan. Currently, the house is occupied by Ping An and his sister, An Jing. Ping An lives in the master bedroom on the first floor, with a study next to it and a kitchen and an internal garage on the other side. An Jing occupies the master bedroom on the second floor, with two other rooms vacant. The small central hall on the second floor has also become her practice area.
After returning home from work, Ping An remained in a dazed state. As soon as he lay down on the bed, he fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up, it was already 7 PM. At this time, An Jing had just returned from her training class and was preparing dinner for her brother.
An Jing, seven years younger than her brother, is now 25 years old. Unlike her brother, she learned wrestling from her mother from a young age. After graduating from the Sports Academy two years ago, she opened a self-defense and children's wrestling training class outside the sports community, which is thriving.
"Brother, you're awake. Come eat. You haven't eaten all day, aren't you hungry?" An Jing, emerging from the kitchen, called out to her brother as he rubbed his sleepy eyes and walked out of the bedroom.
Feeling no formality with his own sister, Ping An first drank a full pot of cold water and then sat down at the dining table, devouring his meal.
"Brother, have you encountered any trouble lately?" An Jing asked cautiously. When she returned home earlier, she noticed a police car parked outside their courtyard, with two plainclothes officers inside. They greeted her warmly as she arrived.
"When do I not encounter trouble? Don't worry about me. You be careful when you go out. It's almost autumn, and you're still wearing such a short skirt," Ping An said, displeased, looking at his sister's skirt.
"Oh!" An Jing replied obediently.
"Did you put on perfume?" After a few bites of food, Ping An seemed to have regained his energy and suddenly smelled the strong perfume on his sister.
"Fei Keqing sprayed it on me. I said I didn't want it, but she insisted," An Jing replied honestly.
"Forget it, you're grown up now, you should take care of yourself," Ping An said emotionally, looking at his sister, who had grown into a beautiful and graceful young woman.
"Can I date then?" An Jing asked coquettishly.
"Date if you want to. You're 25, not young anymore," Ping An said casually. After a moment of thought, he looked at his sister intently and asked with suspicion, "You're not still in an online relationship with that netizen named what's-his-name, are you? I told you online dating is unreliable. That scoundrel has been trying to hook up with you since you were 20, for five years, relentlessly! If you two weren't unable to meet, I'd skin him alive."
"What if we could meet?" An Jing asked tentatively.
"Hm? What, he dares to come to Hechuan? Don't let me catch him, I'll beat him to death!" Ping An threatened his sister.
"Jack is a good person. He's well-educated, good-looking, and has a lovely voice. We're just very, very good friends. Brother, don't talk nonsense!" An Jing insisted.
"I don't agree! If you have the guts, show me his photo. Do you believe I can find him and kill him in minutes?" Ping An continued to threaten his sister.
"But what if he comes to Hechuan for me?" An Jing said shyly.
"Just say you have a boyfriend. Tomorrow I'll call Chen Nairong and have him introduce you to an elite from the business world. If you want to date, date properly," Ping An said decisively.
"What kind of person will he find for me? A businessman who hangs out with all sorts of people every day, not serious at all!" An Jing pouted in disagreement.
"I saved his life. Old Chen is a good guy, otherwise, he wouldn't have taken off his police uniform for friendship!" Ping An said. "Speaking of police officers, you absolutely cannot find a police officer. The problem with police officers is that they either value their careers too much or their friendships too much. All the police officers I know are heartless; they don't even ask about their wives and children all day. So, no police officers!"
"Police officers are quite good, aren't they? So handsome!" An Jing said.
"Journalists are handsome, okay!" Ping An said, dissatisfied, putting down his bowl and beckoning his sister with his hand.
"It's only the 12th today, and you've already spent 2,000 yuan this month. You want another 5,000? Don't even think about it." Although An Jing seemed to obey her brother in everything, she was the financial manager at home. She not only managed the household's daily expenses but also controlled her brother's salary card.
However, despite An Jing's strict management of money, the Ping An family was not poor at all. As a chief reporter, Ping An had a stable salary. With his professional title, position, seniority, and performance, his monthly salary was around 35,000 yuan, plus a guaranteed bonus of 60,000 yuan at the end of the year. Of course, his salary was only for his daily expenses. His major income came from royalties. As a professional writer, the best-selling book he was currently writing had already been signed, with copyright and royalties exceeding 500,000 yuan. In addition, he enjoyed writing topical commentaries each year, earning him eighty to ninety thousand yuan from this alone. Sometimes, he would also help companies write materials for a fee. Even the Public Security Bureau had paid him money in the name of consultant fees for helping solve cases, but these were minor amounts and not worth mentioning. Overall, Ping An's annual income could reach 800,000 yuan from various sources. Ping An's ancestral home was in Hechuan. Their old house was in the airport warehouse area. Ten years ago, when the old house was demolished, they received a one-time compensation of 8 million yuan and five single-room warehouses according to the proportion. The 8 million yuan was naturally saved as a "marriage fund," with half for each sibling as wedding money, but now they were both single and didn't know when they would spend it. As for the five single-room warehouses, Ping An occupied one himself, and the remaining four were rented out to a express delivery company for an annual rent of 240,000 yuan. This 240,000 yuan income was also saved in the "marriage fund" on a fifty-fifty basis. This "marriage fund," managed by the financially savvy An Jing, was not left idly in the bank to earn interest but was invested in stable fund projects. Now, the principal plus rent and dividends had exceeded ten million yuan.
Although An Jing did not have a fixed job, her training classes, with a fixed income every three months, yielded a net profit of around 80,000 to 90,000 yuan after deducting rent. Furthermore, Ping An and An Jing's mother was the head of a large investment institution and provided them with living expenses on time each month. Ping An was unwilling to accept this money, so An Jing naturally enjoyed it herself. Therefore, in a high-consumption city like Hechuan, their sibling's income could not be considered great wealth, but it was definitely above the middle class.
An Jing was unwilling to give her brother money because Ping An never took money seriously. When he was out, if someone gave him a small piece of information, he would happily spend a hundred yuan. Therefore, An Jing only gave him 1,000 yuan a week, which was barely enough for Ping An's daily expenses for cigarettes, gas, and occasional meals out. However, the most recent incident involved the Niu Jian case, for which he needed money to buy clues.
After finishing their meal, Ping An, with a toothpick in his mouth, opened the living room curtains. Night had fallen, and the police car outside had not yet left. Although it was some distance away, judging by the sturdy physique of the person in the driver's seat, the driver must have been Liu Kedou. Mei Qian was likely tracking Wu An at that moment and wouldn't be accompanying him.
"Get a pot of hot water and heat up some steamed buns to take to them. They are responsible for protecting me," Ping An instructed his sister as she cleared the dishes and walked out of the kitchen.
After saying this, he turned and went upstairs to one of the empty rooms. This room was not large. Centered against the wall was a photograph of Ping An's father, Ping Fan, with an incense burner and candles placed in front of it. It turned out that Ping An's father was no longer alive. Friends reading this will surely ask, what about Ping An's mother? Speaking of this, it must be reminded that one should never mention Ping An's mother in front of him. Whoever does will make him agitated.
Lighting the candles and burning incense, Ping An bowed three times to his father's portrait. "Old man! I was on a business trip these past few days and didn't burn incense for you. Let me light a cigarette for you first!" Ping An muttered to himself, lighting a cigarette and placing it beside the incense burner.
"Old man! I have some clues about your case. I've found the person who managed the surveillance footage back then. I won't let you die unjustly like this!" Ping An said firmly, tears welling up in his eyes as he looked at his father's portrait. The memories of fifteen years ago flooded back.
Fifteen years ago, in the Hechuan City Intermediate Court.
"Ping Fan, for intentional homicide, you are sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, deprivation of political rights for life, and a fine of 161,789 yuan..." In the courtroom, the presiding judge was announcing the verdict.
"Finally, allow me to point out a secret on the murder weapon. This secret involves the darkest side of this city," Ping Fan said calmly and persistently from the defendant's dock, making his final request.
"Agreed. Let the bailiff show him the exhibit," the presiding judge said after a moment of thought.
A bailiff brought a long arrow, contained in a plastic bag, to Ping Fan. Ping Fan took the long arrow and caressed it as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.
At this moment, Ping Fan looked up and met the gaze of An Kezhen, sitting in the witness box – his wife, the mother of his two children, but the key witness who ultimately proved him a murderer.
However, in his eyes as he looked at her, there was deep love. She had proven him a murderer, yet he harbored no hatred for her. At this crucial moment that decided his fate, he no longer cared about anything. In this moment, he wanted to use the next thing he was about to do to tell everyone that he was wronged, that he was innocent.
Their eyes met, a silent understanding. In this scene, there were no regrets.
After looking at his wife, Ping Fan turned to look at Ping An, who was holding his sister An Jing in the last row.
Father and son's eyes met, paternal love flowing as always. There was no time for explanations, no time for instructions, only to forget everything and live well. Looking at his son, Ping Fan smiled radiantly. Ping An, who understood nothing and yet understood everything, felt an ominous premonition surge through him upon seeing his father's smile.
"Old man!" Forgetting the strict court order, Ping An suddenly rushed towards his father uncontrollably. This shout attracted everyone's attention. Ping An did not want to attract everyone's attention, because in the instant he had captured everyone's focus, his father, whom only he had been watching, placed the precious long arrow against his own throat—
"Ping Fan is innocent! I will not live in disgrace! I wish to prove my innocence with my death!" Using the moment when everyone was distracted by Ping An, Ping Fan uttered his last words in this world and then, with his handcuffed hands, skillfully turned the arrow and plunged it into his throat...
Time returned to the present. The cigarette placed before the incense burner had silently burned out. Ping An rubbed his eyes and left the offering table, walking to the other side of the room. On this wall hung seven long bows, the powerful weapons with which Ping Fan had won championships in his lifetime. Below the bows were seven sets of arrows. Six of the quivers were full with 12 arrows each, but one quiver, containing the "wolf-tooth" arrows specially customized by his father, had only 10 arrows. This unique custom set of arrows was the one from which one arrow had killed the referee Gao Xingyu, becoming the "ironclad evidence" after the incident. The other arrow had vanished without a trace.
"Old man, taking advantage of this business trip, I've found a key person, and perhaps I can retrieve the arrow you truly shot..." Ping An took a box from behind him, the same box he had specifically retrieved from his office that morning.
"Brother, Uncle Yan Qing is here," his sister's voice suddenly came from downstairs. Without time to open the box, Ping An sighed softly. Indeed, there was a tricky case waiting for him to solve. This time was different from usual; he had accidentally gotten himself entangled. For his and his sister's safety, he had to unearth the person behind the scenes.
Now, Yan Qing's personal visit made his intentions clear. Fine, it was time to show off to that idiot Mei Qian. With this thought, Ping An responded to his sister and quietly left the room.
In the living room, Yan Qing sat on the sofa, slurping the Tieguanyin tea prepared by An Jing. Gao Xiaofei, who had accompanied Yan Qing, familarly took leftovers from the refrigerator and ate them with the still-warm rice.
"Old Yan, today is a memorial service at home, I don't want to do anything else. How about I come to your place tomorrow?" Ping An came downstairs and casually sat next to Yan Qing.
"I'm sorry, I forgot today is Instructor Ping's death anniversary," Yan Qing said with an embarrassed smile. It turned out that Ping Fan was not only a national archery athlete but also a shooting instructor for the Hechuan City Public Security Bureau. Because of this, many police officers in their forties and fifties, especially those in criminal investigation who frequently used firearms, had received training from Ping Fan and naturally felt a close affinity for Ping An.
"Gao Xiaofei, you never treat yourself as an outsider when you come to my house. Do you have some ulterior motive?" Ping An said, intentionally changing the subject to ease Yan Qing's embarrassment.
"Yes, I'm thinking of becoming your son-in-law and marrying An Jing!" Gao Xiaofei said nonchalantly, joking about An Jing.
Ping An and Gao Xiaofei had known each other for many years, and they had solved many cases together, surviving near-death experiences by relying on each other. Back then, an ordinary reporter and a newly appointed deputy captain of the serious crime team, known as the "theoretical baby," had stumbled upon and solved a major murder case together. Since then, Ping An had been known as the "Reporter Detective," and Gao Xiaofei, in just a few years, had risen from deputy captain to captain through his high education and high case-solving rate.
"That won't do, unless you change careers and become a lecturer at the Police Academy. I might actually be willing to entrust my sister to you," Ping An said, half-seriously, half-jokingly.
Having seen the unprofessional behavior of the two, An Jing, without a word, came out to pour water for Yan Qing and stepped heavily on both of them.
"Ping An, this case is significant. Mei Qian, an outsider, probably can't handle it. I'll have to step in in the end. Don't hide it anymore. Tell me what you've found. Today is your family's memorial service. I dreamed of Uncle Ping being alive, and I paid my respects to him too. See? That's how it is!" Gao Xiaofei said, insistent.
"It's only the two of you. If that Mei Qian were here, I wouldn't say a word! Forget it, forget it, today is not a suitable day to talk about this at my house. Let's go to your unit!" Ping An thought about it and decided that it was more important to provide the police with the information he had gathered in a timely manner.
In fact, Ping An's biggest dream since childhood was not to be a reporter, but a police officer. He was full of fantasy about the police profession. Using a slingshot or a bow and arrow were merely family skills. But after his father's accident, although he always maintained his father's innocence, the court had given the final verdict: his father was guilty, sentenced to death! And it was very difficult for the child of someone deemed a "murderer" by outsiders to become a police officer. According to the "Provisional Measures for the Admissions Work of Public Security Universities" issued by the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Education in 2000, those with a direct blood relative or a collateral blood relative who had a significant influence on them who had been sentenced to death or was serving a sentence were not eligible to apply. Therefore, Ping An's dream of becoming a police officer was shattered.
In fact, An Jing was also significantly affected later. Becoming a civil servant was out of the question. No matter how good her exam scores were, she wouldn't pass the background check. After graduation, she could only open a training class.
To facilitate the investigation of his father's case, and because the profession of a news reporter had certain similarities with that of a police officer in some aspects, Ping An decisively chose to become a reporter.
When he encountered criminal cases, Ping An became even more immersed, falling deeper and deeper. Every time he encountered a major criminal case, he would use the excuse of tracking the case for news reporting to conduct an independent investigation. Over time, the criminal police, led by Yan Qing, tacitly acknowledged Ping An's abilities, and on several occasions, they invited him to participate in case investigations in the capacity of a "consultant."
Despite having the "consultant" status, Ping An also set three rules for himself. The first rule was never to use his consultant status to influence the investigation of a case. The second rule was to insist on sharing his investigation findings with the police and not to interfere with the direction of the police's case-solving. The third rule was that he was always a reporter, not a police officer, and could not act on behalf of the police's authority.
It was precisely because of these three rules that Ping An, in his cooperation with the police, not only did not hinder their case-solving efforts but also frequently provided useful information, becoming a trusted social friend of the police.
"Let's go! Leave the police car outside to protect my sister. I'll go with you. No one would dare to trouble me, right?" Ping An put on his coat and said to his sister behind him, "Don't worry, I'll be back soon. Don't wait for me, go to bed early."
"Seeing you like this, I know you've got something good!" Gao Xiaofei said happily.
"Don't get happy yet. Before we go to the Public Security Bureau, you have to accompany me to find someone. It's been two days, and they should have replied by now. Don't look at me like that. What this person tells me is very important. Whether my deduction is valid or not depends on him," Ping An pushed open the door and walked out. An Jing suddenly followed, hugged her brother, and put an envelope containing 5,000 yuan into his pocket.
"Lock the doors and windows tonight!" Ping An instructed.
"Go, go. Liu Kedou and Zhang Xuejian are guarding. Your sister will be absolutely fine," Gao Xiaofei said impatiently.
"Let's go to the Baobeigeda Bathhouse. First, help me find a punk named Er Zuizi," Ping An said to Gao Xiaofei, who was driving, after getting into the car.
As the police car slowly drove out of the sports community, a "handsome guy" wearing a black tracksuit and a black balaclava slowly emerged from the crowd. He glanced at the departing police car, then at the two old security guards at the gate of the sports community intensely engrossed in a game of chess, and quietly headed towards the community gate...