From Ping An’s tone, Mei Qian didn’t detect any fear; instead, he felt that the fellow was exceedingly excited.
Following Ping An upstairs, Mei Qian watched as Ping An ascended to the rooftop terrace and then guarded the stairwell.
“Quietly have your people relocate,” Mei Qian instructed a security staff member who had come up with him.
“But, the patients are all mentally ill. Where should we transfer them?” the employee stammered, his hands trembling.
“Find the village cadres. The county police will be here soon,” Mei Qian bluffed. “The head of your sanatorium has gone mad. Aren’t you going to move quickly, or you’ll be blown up.”
On the rooftop terrace, Wang Sanfa lit a brazier. He squatted before it, burning something.
“Director Wang, I’ve come a long way to visit you. Why did you invite me to the rooftop, and what do you intend to do?” Ping An stepped onto the terrace, asking cautiously.
“I’ve waited for you for years. You’ve finally come. I’m burning some paper for my daughter to let her know,” Wang Sanfa’s tone was gentle, his eyes clear, showing no trace of his earlier madness.
“We’ve never met. I don’t understand what you mean by waiting for me for years,” Ping An’s eyes darted around as he carefully observed the surroundings. https:/
“Ah, you have a bad memory!” Wang Sanfa stood up and looked at Ping An. “Five years ago, I went to the newspaper office to find you, carrying a thick notebook of information, hoping you could help us. But I didn’t even get to see you. A kind security guard let me in to look for you, but I couldn’t find your office after searching all day.”
Five years ago? Thinking back to the amusing incidents of his office in the attic then, this gentleman wouldn’t have found him even if he searched to the ends of the earth without guidance.
“I don’t recall anything about that. Why didn’t you call me? My contact information is available on the newspaper,” Ping An said after a moment’s thought.
“Really?” Wang Sanfa looked at Ping An, somewhat bewildered. “You can be reached like that?”
“Yes, I was responsible for the social news section then. My work phone number was publicized with the section. Didn’t you know?” Ping An asked. “How the hell was I supposed to know? No one told me!” Wang Sanfa became agitated. Perhaps he truly hadn’t expected that finding Ping An could be so simple.
“Director Wang, let’s put the past behind us. I just want to know why you sought me out,” Ping An asked.
“Why did I seek you out? Why did I seek you out? You tell me, why did I seek you out? You tell me, why did I seek you out? That’s right! Why did I seek you out? My daughter is dead!” Wang Sanfa suddenly became emotional and began to wail, squatting on the ground.
“Director Wang, Director Wang? Please accept my condolences,” Ping An said. “If the past isn’t important, can we discuss the present?”
“Not important?” Wang Sanfa stood up again and took a few steps towards Ping An. “In your eyes, what is important? Oh, right, your apprentice killed someone. Is that important? But what about my daughter? My daughter? Chen Fei’s daughter? Isn’t anyone going to look after our daughters?”
“Director Wang, please speak slowly, speak slowly. I’m here today. I’ll stay with you as long as you need. Let me see if I can help. If I can, I will certainly help you.” As soon as Chen Fei’s name was mentioned, Ping An immediately understood. The current situation was likely related to the cases that had occurred recently.
“My daughter and Chen Fei’s daughter were lured abroad. We managed to rescue them after great difficulty, but one died, and Old Chen went mad. The other… the other had her mouth split open like a clown! I almost went mad too!” Wang Sanfa said. “After finding our daughters, Old Chen and I reported it everywhere: the Public Security Bureau, the Procuratorate, the Court, the local Mayor’s hotline. We even went to the capital, but no one helped us. As soon as they heard our children were harmed abroad, no one was willing to take the case.” “But, but weren’t the children deceived domestically? If you can’t catch the people abroad, can’t you at least catch the criminals domestically?” Wang Sanfa spoke with surging emotion. “The police said there wasn’t enough evidence. We found evidence that that bastard Ma Delu was the perpetrator, but the police said the evidence wasn’t sufficient!”
“I inquired everywhere and heard about you, reporter Ping An, no, detective Ping An. You brought down the triad, you brought down high officials. You have influence. The police are willing to listen to you. We looked for you. At first, we couldn’t find you. We found you these past two years, but you said you weren’t taking cases anymore. Is that true? Is it?” Wang Sanfa said.
Ping An suddenly recalled that about a year ago, he seemed to have received a message transferred from his unit’s reception desk, asking him to come out of retirement to solve a case. At the time, he was extremely exhausted and didn’t want to get involved, so he refused. In fact, over the years, many people had sought him out to solve cases, but he had never touched any case except those recommended by the police. In that sense, was Wang Sanfa someone he had refused before?
“Director Wang, I am willing to take on your case now, really, I am willing now. I promise you, I will definitely investigate your case clearly!” Ping An hadn’t expected that it would come to this point because of himself.
“Forget it! Our esteemed reporter, we are outsiders with no power or influence. How could we expect you to contribute selflessly?” Wang Sanfa let out a sinister laugh. “Did you enjoy the bomb Chen Fei sent you? That was the last warning I gave you. But I gave you a chance, and you still refused to investigate that Ma Delu. I had no choice but to involve your apprentice. Hahahaha! Are you anxious now? Are you anxious now? Now you have no choice but to investigate, right?”
“As expected, you were involved in the bombing case,” Ping An said.
“Of course. I’m not afraid to tell you, Chen Fei was terminally ill and sought death. We planned meticulously. Here on this rooftop, I taught him how to use the bomb. He was a blaster in the coal mine, so what’s so difficult? Moreover, I personally taught him how to act when he met you. Oh yes, this was a performance. After watching the performance, how do you feel? Since you were so stubborn and wouldn’t come, we had no choice but to involve you in the case. I understand now, it all makes sense! This group had been looking for me for a long time, but for some reason, I never made contact. Especially these past two years, I’ve refused cases multiple times. I don’t know when exactly I refused them. Forced into a corner, he and Chen Fei likely designed a series of cases: bombings, framing. What was the purpose? Was it revenge against me?”
“Director Wang, what is your purpose in doing this? Is it revenge against me?” Ping An asked.
“Revenge? We just want you to find the villains who harmed our daughters!” Wang Sanfa said. “Listen, Ma Delu is just a pawn, but our abilities are limited, and we could only investigate that far.”
“Do you know, to investigate Ma Delu, my child did not hesitate to kill and even commit suicide. But, but aren’t the police useless? Why were they so quick when investigating us?” Wang Sanfa said. “It’s because of you. It’s precisely because of you. We used bombs, actually, just to scare you. Otherwise, do you think you would be alive now? But, because it was you, the police worked hard to solve the case, forcing my daughter to kill and commit suicide!”
“Wang Sanfa, you just… you just had the wrong timing and the wrong methods. I am willing to help you find out. Tell me the truth!” Ping An said.
“The bombing case! You’ve solved it. My daughter also committed suicide. What other truth do you want? Go investigate Ma Delu obediently! Go obediently find the mastermind behind Ma Delu!” Wang Sanfa said hysterically. “Please, I beg you, I beg you. Every day I live now is suffering. I want to die, but my revenge is not complete, so I dare not die.”
“Okay! I promise you, I promise you. Now tell me, who killed Ma Delu? Was it you? Was it you who killed Zhang Si at the construction site? How did you do it?” Ping An asked.
“That’s not important!” Wang Sanfa said. “Go investigate. Investigate the mastermind behind Ma Delu, and you’ll know everything.”
“Are these cases related to the forces behind Ma Delu?” Ping An asked.
“Let me tell you a little secret—” Wang Sanfa suddenly smiled. “The forces behind Ma Delu are faster than you. When Ma Delu was killed, and when Zhang Si was killed, they were following. So, my great detective, as long as you find the forces behind Ma Delu, they will naturally tell you what these cases are all about.”
“But, but now my apprentice…” Ping An’s face immediately showed concern.
“This is it! This is it! I won’t tell you!” Wang Sanfa shouted, as if he had gained unprecedented satisfaction. “What can you do to me!”
At some point, fully armed police officers had filled the area below the building. Wang Sanfa looked down at them and suddenly said, “Ping An, don’t resent me. I know this has nothing to do with you, but why should heaven make us suffer? Why can’t we do bad things? I’m so tired, I want to rest.”
As he finished speaking, Wang Sanfa suddenly took a plastic bottle from his pocket, unscrewed the cap, and poured the liquid inside onto himself.
“Wang Sanfa! What are you doing?” Ping An took a few steps forward but was stopped by Wang Sanfa, who held a lighter.
“I forgot to tell you, I’ve read your novels before. Do you remember the book ‘The Scapegoat’? The cases of Ma Delu and Zhang Si, although the methods were different, don’t they feel suddenly familiar? Aren’t these cases you conceived?”
Wang Sanfa’s eyes widened. After a final glance at the world, he said softly to Ping An, “So you understand, right? If I die, your apprentice will be the only culprit, unless—–”