For three full days now, Han Shi had been transferred to the detention center, and his mood was calm. He could accept being defeated by Ping An – how could the person he recognized back then not see through his tricks? Although he was going to jail soon, and the large sum of money he had painstakingly planned for was confiscated, he felt no regret. On the contrary, he was a little excited.
"Hey, don't look so glum. I'll give you a chance to solve a case with me, want it?"
That was what Ping An had said to him in the interrogation room before leaving after his complete victory that day.
It was this sentence that reignited a flame in Han Shi's heart. He was still useful, even if it was to be used by Ping An, it was worth it! Besides, he had promised to submit a meritorious service report…
Three days passed, and Ping An hadn't contacted him, but he wasn't anxious. He knew that involving someone in a case investigation was no small matter. Even Ping An couldn't easily arrange it, and if it went wrong, he might get reprimanded.
"Are you a pig-brain? River City has tens of millions of people, and you want to find a convict to be a consultant? How does that work? Consultant's consultant?" Han Shi was right. At this moment, in Xiang Wanfeng's office, who had been deliberately recuperating in recent years, he was speaking without restraint, cursing loudly.
Ping An, enduring Xiang Wanfeng's spray, patiently explained again, "This kid has been investigating Ma Delu and the forces behind him for more than a day or two. Old Xiang? Leader? Step-father? Dad! You know yourself that cases involving criminal groups like Ma Delu are not comparable to the single cases of the past. With such a complex network, you can't even get a clue without extensive investigation. Now that I've finally managed to stir him up, let him investigate a case with me for a few days…"
"You have plenty of people around you, besides, you're not one to listen to others' opinions…" Xiang Wanfeng said, then looked at Ping An suspiciously, "What are you really planning? You don't just want to solve the Ma Delu series of cases, do you?"
"Heh heh, you've seen through it," Ping An said. "Yes, if possible, I want to find a helper to investigate Mr. Ke for me."
"What's Xiao Fei's opinion?" Xiang Wanfeng patted his increasingly round belly.
"His wife is due today, he said to go with my plan," Ping An said, picking his nose.
"I'll look into it—have him say something first, and I'll see if it's valuable!" Xiang Wanfeng said.
Seeing Xiang Wanfeng relent, Ping An immediately pulled Mei Ti to interrogate Han Shi.
In the interrogation room, Han Shi looked better than he did three days ago. Seeing Ping An enter, he even stood up and nodded.
"You're a smart person, so let's not play games. To be honest, today is to see your sincerity. If you can genuinely help solve the case, we'll naturally let you out to assist," Ping An said directly.
"Okay, I will cooperate fully," Han Shi said, also actively expressing his willingness to cooperate after hearing Ping An.
"Then tell me, from the beginning. You know what I want to know." Ping An shifted into a comfortable position, ready to listen to a long story.
"How should I put it? Ever since my girlfriend and sister had their accident, I've been investigating Ma Delu. By now, it's been seven or eight years," Han Shi sighed and began to recount his investigation.
"In their conversations, there was never any mention of harming anyone. I even consulted a lawyer later. When the lawyer heard it and considered the nature of Ma Delu's company, they told me that this recording couldn't prove anything. They could claim it was for finding people for trainees, and clients could be described as investors, or something. In short, this recording was useless," Han Shi said. "I worked day and night to investigate the case, and the material I finally obtained was useless? I was so angry that on impulse, I arranged to meet Ma Delu and played the recording for him. I thought he wouldn't care, but unexpectedly, he asked us to name a price."
Thus, with disbelief, Han Shi told his father about Ma Delu's willingness to set a price. Wang Sanfa, upon hearing this, decided to test the waters, to see if the other party was truly willing to pay. He asked for fifty thousand, and Ma Delu paid it without batting an eyelid.
"I still clearly remember Ma Delu's expression at the time; it was one of pity. After giving the money, he also told me not to make a fuss. He knew Ajiao had returned alive and that he would keep it a secret for us, otherwise, someone would come to silence us…" Han Shi said. "Ma Delu is a bastard, and he has the nerve to consider us. It makes me so angry."
Even though they had taken the money, neither Wang Sanfa nor Han Shi intended to let Ma Delu off the hook. Han Shi then started targeting Diana.