Attention Sir, I Have Your Heart Handcuffed!-Chapter 641 - 477. (Epilogue - Back then) 4. Relentless pursuit

Chapter 641: 477. (Epilogue - Back then) 4. Relentless pursuit

"Crime is a risky business, so for criminals, they also need to find their own ’safe zone.’ This area includes both a psychological safe zone and a location safe zone."

"They choose the most ordinary small van, which fits their psychological need for safety. This proves that they themselves come from this social stratum, their social interactions are also concentrated among people with the profession and income level of small van drivers; meanwhile, the commercial area surroundings fit their ’location safe zone.’"

"In summary, we can deduce: the suspects come from lower-middle-income groups, they might be illegal drivers operating small vans to pick up passengers around the commercial area; or they could be small merchants delivering goods with small vans near the commercial area."

"A key point here is: look at the small vans that come out daily for work, is there one that didn’t appear between last night and this morning?"

Qi Xiuqi quickly took notes, then stood up: "Alright, I’ll go check this out now."

Shi Haoran covered his mouth with his hand and coughed a few times. Director Zheng hurriedly handed over his cup: "Old Shi, can your body still handle it?"

Shi Haoran will reach retirement age next year. Although, according to today’s standards, a 59-year-old doesn’t count as very old, Shi Haoran has suffered from many ailments due to years of first-line investigation work, making his body wear down more severely than others of the same age.

Shi Haoran held a handkerchief to his mouth, hurriedly waved his hand, and steadied himself for a few breaths before saying: "I’m fine."

He put the handkerchief away and analyzed to the attendees: "However, there is now a contradiction. According to normal logic, the escape route chosen by suspects with unremarkable criminal methods, and the location where they hide the hostages, wouldn’t be particularly clever either. Yet we’ve searched all night following their way of thinking, and obtained nothing."

He closed his eyes briefly: "So, there must be some changes in the case that we don’t know about. I believe it’s not that our search isn’t thorough enough, but that new members have joined their ranks."

"The addition of new members changed their thinking, altered their travel routes, and caused shifts in our conventional reasoning direction."

Director Zheng also nodded, his eyes filled with concern: "Old Shi, are you worried about...?"

"Exactly." Shi Haoran’s gaze dropped: "I’m reminded of the string of virtual cases over the past three years. That person has always been playing a strategic game with me. Though the cases ultimately proved to be virtual, his goal was undoubtedly aimed at me. Perhaps after three years, he needs to pull off a special case, to conclude these three years of challenges. He will definitely make this conclusion particularly remarkable."

"So for the past three years, all the cases were virtual, but this final one is a real case; moreover, he’s taken away my Nian Nian... he’s challenging me ultimately, to see if I can solve the case and save my own daughter. If I fail, it will be a double failure as both a police officer and a father, and I would have no face to live in this world."

As Shi Haoran said this, everyone’s brows furrowed tightly.

The battle over these virtual cases in the past three years has been experienced by everyone. Although there have been no losses in personnel or property, just the contention in the reasoning process has already made one extremely tense.

If that person truly intends to create a real case, if this case is truly done by that person... then everyone understands that solving the case would become exceedingly difficult.

.

Xiang Yuan woke up from unconsciousness.

His eyes were covered, but his mouth wasn’t gagged.

He tried hard to peer through the fabric covering his eyes to see the light outside. But it was all in vain.

He first called out softly: "Shi Nian? Is that you? Are you there?"

Before he was knocked out, he couldn’t confirm whether he had found Shi Nian, and for the moment he couldn’t be sure if his being tied up was related to Shi Nian either.

"You don’t need to look anymore. No one you’re looking for is here."

A sound came from the room, but it wasn’t someone nearby. The sound had some pulsing noise, indicating it was coming from a loudspeaker.

He told himself to calm down, then looked around and called out, "I think we should talk: what exactly do you want?"

He is a lawyer, most aware of the importance of using negotiation for transactions in crucial moments.

The voice sneered lightly: "What do you think I want?"

Sitting behind the loudspeaker is Gu Yong, but speaking is Xiao Mao. Gu Yong thought Xiang Yuan was Yan Qi, so he couldn’t risk letting Yan Qi recognize his voice, still wanting to leave himself an escape route. He wrote the words on a paper, asked Xiao Mao to read them into the loudspeaker.

He also used the technique he learned from Yan Qi now: before getting a clear understanding of the opponent’s intentions, he wouldn’t reveal his own attitude but would rather use this rebutting method to make the other party speak first.

Seeing the design in the opponent’s words, Xiang Yuan chuckled lightly: "First of all, you definitely want to talk to me. Otherwise, you would’ve gagged my mouth, instead of leaving me able to speak."

"Furthermore, you tied me up but didn’t kill me, so you must be after something."

"My friend, let’s be honest—anyone committing a crime must be after something; otherwise, no one would take such a risk. Since you have an aim, why not spell it out to see if I can help you. I’m trying to protect myself, and if I happen to be able to assist you and satisfy you, then I’m also safe, a win-win situation."

Gu Yong didn’t know Xiang Yuan was a lawyer, but he could tell that Xiang Yuan’s words were extremely effective, hitting straight to the heart, making one feel like confessing straightforwardly.

However, he controlled himself: "It also depends on what cards you hold, what abilities you have, and what you can do for me. So tell me who you are, your name and occupation, family background, and your specialties. Then I’ll make my demands based on your abilities."

Xiang Yuan couldn’t help but bite his lip.

This kidnapper indeed wasn’t ordinary, at least crudely familiar with psychological tactics.

Xiang Yuan calculated silently, and slowly said: "I can help you escape legal pursuit. Even if the person you kidnapped this time is me, I can still help you. Just tell me: do you have a girl in your possession?"

Gu Yong thought about it, naturally recalling how Yan Qi had taught him on BBS many times, including how to circumvent legal sanctions legally. Moreover, since Xiang Yuan was asking about a girl, he was even more worried Xiang Yuan was Yan Qi.

So he told Xiao Mao to flatly deny it, saying he had no girl in his possession, claiming he only caught him for money, seeing his foreign style, with valuable watch, shoes, and bag, just for money involved.

Xiang Yuan took a deep breath: "Good, since it’s about money, I’ll give you money. You come and release me, and I’ll give you my card number and password, you go withdraw the money."

Xiao Mao became happy, but Gu Yong shut off the microphone and punched Xiao Mao.

He would certainly give a foreign currency card, requiring withdrawal at the counter, which might as well be a trap.

.

At noon, Qi Xiuqi returned to the city bureau.

Everyone was waiting for his clues regarding the small van. He brought back good news and bad news.

He took a sip of water: "The good news is, the teacher’s speculation was correct; a small van hired disreputable driver hasn’t appeared from yesterday afternoon to this morning. I interviewed the surrounding black van drivers, they also said they saw that driver leaving with several regular customers. However, the car’s license plate was fake, a cloned plate; and that driver has just entered this trade not long ago, so no one knew his real name or address."

"What’s the bad news?" Director Zheng asked.

"The bad news is, we waited for a long time where they parked, and that van never showed up. Later we heard that the van did come once in the morning, but was called away by someone, hasn’t returned since then. I’m worried our investigation has alerted them, or the suspect has already guessed we would chase the clues down this line, so they hid in advance."

"Does anyone remember what kind of person called the van away?" Shi Haoran suddenly asked.

Qi Xiuqi nodded: "Yes. Someone described it as a young person, estimated to be around 20 years old, looking very young. Especially their speech was a bit strange, not like a local, even not like a Chinese."

The situation suddenly became confusing again.

If according to Shi Haoran’s original deduction, the suspects should be local lower-middle-income, how could there suddenly be someone saying the speaker wasn’t like a Chinese?

Could it be the identity assumption was wrong?

.

Actually, the clue Qi Xiuqi brought back wasn’t wrong. The one who had found the van ahead of time and took off in it wasn’t anyone else but Tang Yanqing.

Arriving at the arranged meeting place not finding Gu Yong; calling Gu Yong’s phone also couldn’t get through, he became more worried. Based on traffic broadcast information, like Shi Haoran, he thought of the crime’s van.

Only his thoughts were faster, his actions more rapid, hence he found the van before Qi Xiuqi.

The driver saw it was an overseas Chinese with a fashionable touch hailing a cab, naturally thinking it was a good business opportunity, gladly accepting this job.

Tang Yanqing got in the car and first asked the driver to take a big loop around Yun City, saying he wanted to appreciate the city scenery.

The driver didn’t suspect anything, starting to drive in circles, enthusiastically providing explanations along the way.