"Watch your tone and attitude. This is Director Xiang of the special investigation team," Huang Sha snapped, cutting off Ping An's angry outburst.
"We'll discuss personal matters later. Let's handle official business first. Ping An, Niu Jian's son has filed a report under his real name accusing you of involvement in a drug trafficking case, and has also provided a photograph of you with Chen Nairong," Xiang Wanfeng said, holding up a photo. "We hope you can explain this."
"First of all, I don't know Niu Jian. Perhaps we've met at some event, but I truly don't know him, and even less so his son," Ping An said, seemingly prepared. "I don't understand why he would file a report under his real name against me."
"What's your relationship with Chen Nairong?" Xiang Wanfeng asked.
"Very good friends. I considered him a brother who'd risk his life for me, but it seems that's not the case," Ping An said with a hint of regret.
"Were you involved in his business?" Xiang Wanfeng asked.
"Years ago, he didn't have many channels for his business. I had some connections and introduced him to people. He lacked capital, so I acted as a guarantor, but he repaid me quickly. That was it, nothing more," Ping An said earnestly. "Later, his business grew larger and larger. Seeing he was doing well, I stopped inquiring about his business and didn't help him anymore."
"Do you know what kind of business he was in?" Xiang Wanfeng asked unhurriedly.
"Car rental, a web-based car platform, used car sales – that was in his earlier years. I'm not too clear about what he did later, it seemed to be related to financing," Ping An said.
"Did you have any financial dealings with Chen Nairong? Or, did you receive any compensation from him?" Xiang Wanfeng asked.
"No, financially, he and I are completely clean," Ping An said, after thinking for a moment, with certainty.
"I've looked into your finances. The books are very clean. I wouldn't have thought your savings are so abundant," Xiang Wanfeng teased.
"You bastard, don't you know how well my novels sell?" Ping An finally couldn't hold back, glaring fiercely at the other man.
"Taxes have been paid, right?" Xiang Wanfeng said somewhat awkwardly.
"Yeah, I was reluctant, but I still paid taxes!" Ping An said, covering his face and looking distressed.
"Cough, cough. Next, please answer this: the white powder in that photo provided by Niu Jian's son, it's not milk powder, is it?" Xiang Wanfeng glanced at Huang Sha beside him, noticing the supervisor's displeasure, and quickly continued his question.
"Can I see the photo carefully?" To be honest, this was the first time Ping An was seeing this photo.
"Certainly!" Before Huang Sha could respond, Xiang Wanfeng handed over the photo.
"Yes, yes, this photo is not fake. It is indeed a photo of Chen Nairong and me," Ping An recognized the origin of the photo immediately. He looked at the nervous Huang Sha and said, "It was about four years ago. Chen Nairong wanted to invest in dairy products, so I accompanied him to the Grassland of Hechuan. This photo was taken at the Haba La Prairie Dairy Factory. I remember, the gatekeeper of that dairy factory took the photo for us. His name was Mulati something or other. You can check."
"We've found that Niu Jian's attitude changed significantly before and after seeking your help. His last phone call contained some incomprehensible words. Wu An appeared in your apartment complex the night before his incident, and the next day he was blown up right under your nose. Chen Nairong, risking danger, appeared near your home. Do you have any explanation for these events?" Xiang Wanqiu asked.
"I admit, I've also been suspicious that the deaths of these three people seem to have some connection to me. But I haven't killed anyone, nor have I done anything illegal," Ping An said. "So, I don't deny these aren't coincidences, but I can't explain them either."
"Please explain your relationship with Su Xia," Xiang Wanfeng said, not dwelling on the previous topic.
"Friends!" Ping An replied.
"Do you know the relationship between Su Xia and Chen Nairong?" Xiang Wanfeng asked.
"They were colleagues before. Later, when Su Xia was investigating the murder of Niu Jian, he investigated Chen Nairong. To facilitate the investigation, he had a meal with Chen Nairong," Ping An said.
"Do you know that according to the real-name report filed by Niu Jian's son, Niu Daixing, his father's intended report also included Su Xia, because Su Xia extorted Niu Jian?" Huang Sha suddenly interjected. Xiang Wanfeng was displeased with Huang Sha's actions, but because it involved Su Xia, he didn't say much.
"If Su Xia could extort, his family wouldn't be living the way they do. Old Su is known in the bureau as a poor household. He even brings home untouched steamed buns from wedding banquets. With such a family background, they're so poor they can barely make ends meet," Ping An said. "Not only do I not believe it, I believe no one in the bureau would believe it."
"Why did you give him 100,000 yuan?" Huang Sha eagerly asked.
"Payment for story material!" Ping An glanced at Huang Sha and said, "Besides my job, I'm also a freelance writer, writing medium and long novels. Su Xia provided me with many case stories. It's only natural for me to pay him."
"What kind of story costs 100,000 yuan!" Huang Sha exclaimed in surprise.
"Last year, I wrote a novel called 'The Person I Spied On Is the Killer.' It was later bought out by a film company for over 600,000 yuan. The original prototype for the story was provided by Su Xia. I just processed it. Paying him 100,000 is not excessive, is it?" Ping An said lightly.
"600,000? There's something wrong with that money!" Huang Sha refused to believe it.
"Ask Branch Chief Xiang!" Ping An glared at Huang Sha.
"That novel was indeed good, very profitable, very profitable," Xiang Wanfeng said awkwardly.
"Ping An, I ask you, you said you were on a business trip out of town the night Niu Jian was killed, but we have witnesses who can prove you returned to Hechuan the day before Niu Jian was killed..." Huang Sha continued, with the air of someone who wouldn't rest until Ping An was cornered. However, to an experienced detective like Xiang Wanfeng, this was entirely the wrong approach.
Therefore, seeing Huang Sha reveal all their trump cards to Ping An, Xiang Wanfeng, disregarding the supervisor's feelings, directly interrupted Huang Sha's questioning.
"Supervisor Huang, I think that's enough for today. Reporter Ping An, you can leave for now. However, for the next period, do not leave the city. You can go to work, but you cannot go on business trips. If it is absolutely unavoidable, please report to us," Xiang Wanfeng hastily concluded the interrogation and let Ping An go.
"No, I haven't finished asking. Ping An, what did you do the day before Niu Jian's death when you returned? Why didn't you say you had returned when Officer Mei questioned you before?" the impatient Huang Sha still managed to blurt out the question.
"The day before Niu Jian's death? So that means I returned and then left, and Niu Jian wasn't dead yet, right?" Ping An said, enunciating each word.
"Uh, you could say that," Huang Sha was caught off guard.
Xiang Wanfeng dejectedly covered his eyes.
"Then, what does my return have to do with Niu Jian's death?" Ping An retorted.
"This... Right, what did you do that night?" Huang Sha continued.
"Ask Branch Chief Xiang, he knows!" Ping An said fiercely.
"What? Branch Chief Xiang?" Huang Sha was confused. He had previously investigated and found that Xiang Wanfeng and Ping An should not have known each other.
"Ping An returned to Hechuan that night because he forgot the grand finale he was about to update at home, so..." Xiang Wanfeng said. "To be honest, I'm a loyal reader of Reporter Ping An. That night, under my relentless urging for updates, Reporter Ping An, not wanting his future son to be impotent, had no choice but to go home to retrieve the manuscript."
"What? What has this got to do with that!" Huang Sha said in a muddled way.
"Alright, I don't want to leave yet. Regarding the deaths of Niu Jian, Wu An, and Ren Liu and his wife, I have some of my own opinions. Xiang Wanfeng, do you want to hear them? If your new special investigation team doesn't believe me, I'll leave now. You guys can solve the case properly!" Ping An said, somewhat angrily.
Ping An's words indeed made Xiang Wanfeng's eyes light up.
"I would be honored to hear your detailed account!" Xiang Wanfeng gestured towards the interrogation room door. "Let's go, sit in my office first. I'll have them make arrangements. I really want to know what you're up to."
In fact, from the beginning, Xiang Wanfeng knew that the information and clues the police currently possessed made it almost impossible to implicate Ping An. Even Su Xia, sitting next door, could not have any impact on him due to the severe lack of evidence.
In a high-stakes chess match, strategy is paramount. A person who could write a novel like "The Person I Spied On Is the Killer" would not leave any evidence at crucial points. Moreover, even now, all types of evidence failed to implicate Ping An as an accomplice of Chen Nairong. However, as a criminal investigator, he could not completely lower his guard against Ping An. After all, Chen Nairong had vociferously claimed the previous night that he would kill Liu Juan for Ping An. Yet, Chen Nairong was nowhere to be seen, dead or alive, while Ping An had slept soundly until morning. This inevitably led one to question the ultimate objective of the mastermind.
As for today's interrogation, it was merely a formality. Xiang Wanfeng's true purpose was to discover Ping An's intentions. He was quite afraid that Ping An, out of spite, would refuse to cooperate and say nothing, which would make the case even more troublesome.
With the cards laid bare, Ping An's opinions were highly valued by the special investigation team. As they left the interrogation room, they entered Xiang Wanfeng's temporary office. To appease Ping An's emotions, Xiang Wanfeng sent Huang Sha to "harass" Su Xia in another interrogation room, while calling in Gao Xiaofei, who had been dawdling in the office all morning.
The conference room was adjacent to Xiang Wanfeng's office. Several leaders from the provincial department and Vice Mayor Wang, upon learning that Ping An was going to discuss the case, had called one after another, expressing their desire to listen. Honestly, everyone was highly anticipating Ping An unraveling a thread from this tangled mess of a case.
"The leaders want to hear your profound insights. That's giving you quite a lot of face, isn't it? They'll be here in about half an hour. Let's chat first. Honestly, I never expected to be involved in these cases, nor did I expect our first meeting to be in such a manner," Xiang Wanfeng said with some melancholy, sitting beside Ping An in the office.
"I also never expected that the most absurd reader in my life, someone so bored that they'd verify my 'reason for absence' to urge me to update, would become the head of the special investigation team for this series of cases," Ping An said, opening his eyes and glancing at Xiang Wanfeng. "I always thought you were a genuine policeman, a small beat cop who hadn't realized his ambitions or handled any major cases. But you are the highest-ranking and most authoritative criminal investigation officer representing the entire province. You've been hiding your depth well."
"Having read your novels for so many years, I've always thought of you as a true criminal. The murderers, arsonists, drug addicts, and gangsters in your novels – those were all part of your experience gathering," Xiang Wanfeng said seriously. "So, if this series of cases were indeed committed by you, I wouldn't be surprised at all, because I know you have the capability for calculation and control."
"You overestimate me. I do have my reasons for writing novels. I don't mind telling you, I'm looking for someone called Mr. Ke. He owes my Ping family a life and the truth of a case. But he also conveyed through other channels that if I could commit a flawless crime, he would meet me." Ping An continued, "For whatever reason, you shouldn't have taken this case. Even if you took it, you shouldn't have revealed your identity. I don't mind telling you, I've always suspected that Mr. Ke arranged for someone in my reader group to monitor me under the guise of a reader. And you, with the online handle 'Xiaofeng,' are the one I suspect the most."
"We've tested each other many times. This is the first time you've been truly honest with me. I won't hide anything from you either. I've been tracking a criminal for 20 years, and he also calls himself Mr. Ke." Xiang Wanfeng said. "I've always suspected you were Mr. Ke, but your age doesn't match, so you could only be his disciple. But now, your straightforwardness has left me somewhat bewildered."
"Did you approach me because of Chen Nairong's case, or because of Mr. Ke?" Ping An suddenly asked.
"This is my job. My job," Xiang Wanfeng said. "Do you also believe this is a deliberate arrangement?"
"Let's speak frankly. Do you believe this series of cases is related to Mr. Ke?" Ping An played his final card.
"I wanted to ask you the same question, so what is your answer?" Xiang Wanfeng asked.
"You knew from the beginning that my pen name, Mr. Q, was me, Ping An, right?" Ping An asked.
"Yes, it was too simple. You always wrote your drafts in the office. I could have a beat cop check the IP address and confirm it was you." Xiang Wanfeng said.
"Then you should know that my father's case is inextricably linked to Mr. Ke!" Ping An said.
"But I've also read your novel 'I Have Two Shadows,' and I know that a person's criminal nature is inseparable from the inherent violence of wild animals—isn't that your theory?" Xiang Wanfeng said.
"Let's stop testing each other. Give me a straight answer. In this complicated case I've encountered, have you played any part in instigating it?" Ping An asked.
"No, I have no idea what these cases are about. A few days ago, after receiving the order, I quickly reviewed the case files and discovered that these cases are different from others; they have the strong scent of Mr. Ke, and... the shadow of you, Mr. Q." Xiang Wanfeng said.
"One last question, if I may. Twenty years ago, a bizarre case occurred in Hechuan City. A female teacher stabbed an eight-year-old boy to death with a teaching compass during recess. At the time, everyone clearly saw the boy ask for leave due to a stomachache and return to the classroom alone; but a few minutes later, the female teacher calmly emerged from the classroom with a pile of teaching materials. When asked about the boy, the teacher flatly denied seeing him. Other teachers felt something was wrong and rushed into the classroom, only to find the boy murdered. The murder weapon was among the teaching materials in the teacher's hand—that very teaching compass." Ping An said gravely. "Afterward, the female teacher argued that she had been in the classroom the whole time but never saw or discovered the boy. However, almost all the students stated that the classroom was empty after class until the boy returned alone. Witness testimony and physical evidence were all present, dozens of eyes were watching. The truth could not be denied. Under ironclad evidence, the female teacher was executed immediately... I remember that teacher's name was Mu Tong. May I ask, was she...?"
"Yes, my wife," Xiang Wanfeng said, a tear tracing a hot path down his cheek.
"Three years after the incident, Mr. Ke proved on the dark web's 'Impossible Crimes Forum' held abroad that he had personally planned and executed this case. Due to the absolute meticulousness of the logic, the absolute weirdness of the conception, and the absolute reliability of the execution, he was awarded 'Master Criminal' at that forum," Ping An said softly. "It was only then that a rookie detective, without video surveillance and incomplete witnesses, insisted on reinvestigating the case. Later, it was discovered that this bizarre case was actually incredibly simple."
"Yes, in that case, the most important group of witnesses were children. There were many of them, and it could be considered public view, but their observation and judgment skills could not compare to an adult's! Mr. Ke exploited this very fact to orchestrate a brilliant plan," Xiang Wanfeng said, wiping away the tear. "After that class, Mu Tong never left the classroom. She was busy repairing various teaching materials placed under the desk. Later, I personally reviewed the case files and found that the physical education teacher, when asking the children in that class, 'Is everyone out?' only counted the number of students. He didn't expect, or rather, didn't notice that a teacher was still in the classroom. This led the investigating officers and school staff after the incident to believe that the classroom was 'empty.' The little boy did indeed have a stomachache and asked for leave to rest, but according to the case files, almost all the students said the 'teacher told him to return to the classroom' to rest. Whether asked by teachers or students, everyone later said the boy returned to the classroom alone. But in reality, the boy never returned to the classroom. He was murdered on the staircase next to the classroom, and the killer hid the boy inside his overcoat after killing him."
"It was winter at the time. A small boy, thin and frail, concealed close to the body inside an overcoat. It would be almost impossible to discover," Ping An said, his voice choked with emotion, looking at Xiang Wanfeng. "The most perplexing and crucial part of this case lies in the discovery of the body. I don't know if you noticed, but when I researched this case, I found that after the physical education teacher arranged for the children to exercise, he was a bit worried about the little boy and took the class's homeroom teacher to see him. However, when they were still some distance from the classroom, they saw the female teacher—Teacher Mu—emerge from the classroom alone. He asked about the little boy's situation, but Teacher Mu stated that the boy had not returned! I noticed that according to the statements of the physical education teacher and the homeroom teacher at the time, their first thought wasn't to check the classroom, but to anxiously search the area around the classroom. The classroom was on the first floor, and the teachers assumed the child was playing in the small garden next to the building. Later, it wasn't until someone entered the classroom first to check that the boy's body was discovered. I've searched through the case files, and even interviewed those involved in the case investigation. They all said the scene was chaotic, and no one remembered who entered the classroom first. Perhaps it was a student after the physical education class, or perhaps a teacher helping to find the child. But I am certain that the first person to speak was the murderer of the little boy. He could have entered the classroom unnoticed in full view of everyone, without undue attention, immediately opened his overcoat, discarded the body, and then fastened his coat, pretending to discover the body. In his haste, he planted the murder weapon into the hands of the flustered Teacher Mu. Because his entry into the classroom was noticed by everyone, and he immediately discovered the body upon entering, no one suspected him. Teacher Mu, who had been inside all along, became the primary suspect."
"The staircases of school buildings in the late 1980s and early 1990s were all painted with red paint. So, when I found a piece of bloodstain on a step that was almost oxidized, using the most advanced equipment three years later, that became the key evidence proving Mu Tong was not the murderer," Xiang Wanfeng said. "The case was that simple. Mr. Ke's audacity and meticulousness, exploiting the innocence of children and the oversight of teachers, perfectly executed a frame-up. Ping An, do you know I spent five years trying to find the killer who was clearly at the scene of the crime, but I could never find him? The then-homeroom teacher even told me with certainty that among the teachers at the classroom entrance at the time, there were only her, Mu Tong, and the physical education teacher. She really couldn't remember any other teachers. Most importantly, I still don't understand the killer's motive!"
"Mr. Ke is someone who commits crimes for the sake of crime. I've studied him for many years and know his core theory: a perfect crime must not be an unsolved or suspicious case. As long as the case is not solved, there's a possibility of him being discovered. Only by using a key 'accomplice' to take the blame until the case is closed and judgment is passed can the case be considered perfect," Ping An said. "Committing a crime while also calculating against an innocent person, how detestable!"
"Mr. Ke's brilliance lies in this: he leaves no trace when committing a crime himself, and he transfers the indelible traces to others, extricating himself completely without any future worries," Xiang Wanfeng said. "Ping An, the concepts in your novels almost all imitate Mr. Ke. If I didn't believe you capable of such a heinous act as framing your father, I would truly think you were his successor."
"I've always wanted to lure him out this way, but out came you," Ping An said. "My dad's favorite saying was 'the arrow is on the string, and it must be fired.' Now, whether it's Mr. Ke or not, he has his game, and I have my game. I'm about to start my game!"
"Although we've spoken frankly, I must say, I am still a police officer, and my primary judgment still respects scientific evidence. Even if I clearly know you've been framed this time, if the evidence is conclusive, I will still send you to prison," Xiang Wanfeng said. "Alternatively, you can reveal your game. While I can still manage the situation, you can fully trust me and use my game, the official police channels. Of course, this might end in failure, but at least it can protect you. If you're willing, I can find a way to get you into detention for a month. By then, everything will be settled when you get out."
"Of course, I wanted to hide. A few days ago, when I was hospitalized, I thought about just taking a month's leave and coming back later, whatever happens. But just as I was about to do that, Ren Liu appeared before me mysteriously and was caught. After he spouted a bunch of nonsense, I watched him die in the hospital." Ping An said. "At the circus, the moment Ren Liu appeared before me, I knew he was being threatened, which is why I stayed up all night looking into Ren Liu's background. Unfortunately, I was a step too late. Now, I have no retreat, because the people I care about are already in this game. If I don't start the game, and the opponent makes their move, who knows how many more people will die."
"So, have you made up your mind?" Xiang Wanfeng lit a cigarette.
"Do I have a choice?" Ping An said. "Considering how I've stayed up nights writing novels, could you lend me a hand at this critical moment?"
"How do you want me to help?" Xiang Wanfeng asked.
"Kill me, use my life as a bribe, get close to Mr. Ke, and capture Mr. Ke," Ping An stood up, snatched the cigarette from Xiang Wanfeng's mouth, took a deep puff, and walked out of the office by himself. He then pushed open the door to the conference room, which was already full of people.
"Is this your game?" Xiang Wanfeng murmured, watching Ping An leave the office. "It seems I'm about to be manipulated by you."