Chapter 66

The nurse came in to shoo people out, so Liu Hande had to step back and ask his stepfather about the situation in the hallway. It turned out that the attacker was a teenager, around sixteen or seventeen years old, who had followed his mother upstairs, intending to rob her. In the struggle, his mother was stabbed twice and also hit her head on the door frame, but fortunately, the knife didn't hit any vital organs; otherwise, it would have been a matter of life and death.

"Have they caught the attacker?" Liu Hande asked.

"There weren't many people around in the neighborhood during the day, so he got away," the stepfather said, somewhat ashamed. He had retired and worked night shifts for others, and should have been home during the day, but today he had inexplicably gone to watch people play chess by the river. If he had been home, this wouldn't have happened.

Liu Hande grunted. In his view, his mother's injury was partly his stepfather's fault.

"Did you report it to the police?" Liu Hande continued.

"The police station has already come to ask questions and take photos at home," the stepfather said.

Liu Hande immediately walked away, and the stepfather took a few steps to catch up. "Where are you going?"

"To the police station to ask about the situation."

The police officers at the station received Liu Hande politely, telling him that because there were no surveillance cameras in the neighborhood, they had not yet identified any suspects and were working hard to solve the case. They asked the victim's family not to be anxious and to trust the police.

Liu Hande understood the difficulties faced by the police at the grassroots level. With limited resources, such random robberies often required multiple incidents before any leads could be found. It was hard to determine the perpetrator based on a single case.

He went to the Criminal Investigation Brigade Two to seek help from Han Guang.

By coincidence, Han Guang was not on duty and was not surprised to see Liu Hande. "Is your mother's condition stable?" he asked.

"How did you know?" Liu Hande was amazed. He had heard that the Criminal Investigation Brigade Two was powerful, but he didn't expect them to be so well-informed about every situation.

Han Guang smiled. "What do I do? The police station has already reported the case. We're going to catch the guy soon."

Liu Hande was even more surprised. "You've already identified the suspect?"

"Kid, the net of justice is vast and wide, and nothing can escape it. As long as we want to solve it, there's no case we can't crack. Get in the car," he said, getting into a police car. Liu Hande also climbed into the back seat. They arrived at a nearby internet cafe, and Han Guang left two officers to guard the front and back doors. He then led the team into the crowded hall, where he nodded to two detectives.

The two detectives suddenly pounced, pinning a young man to the computer desk, handcuffing him, and taking his lighter, cigarettes, and phone. Everyone around was shocked and stood up, unsure of what to do.

The manager rushed over, and Han Guang showed him his badge, ordering the detectives to take the young man away. Liu Hande noticed that the guy was under twenty, very thin, and had yellow hair.

"How did you find him?" Liu Hande asked.

"Want to know? Come be a police officer," Han Guang said with a meaningful smile, patting Liu Hande on the shoulder and heading downstairs.

Liu Hande also rushed downstairs, wanting to return to the Criminal Investigation Brigade, but Han Guang refused. "We've caught the guy; you don't need to worry about the rest."

"Can I punch him a couple of times?" Liu Hande begged.

"I'll help you with that later," Han Guang said with a smile.

...

Gu Changjun was detained in a guesthouse in Jiangbei City, the entire building rented by the provincial police. The area was surrounded by plainclothes detectives, making it impenetrable. The special task force interrogated Gu Changjun immediately, but the experienced criminal remained silent, refusing to speak.

The investigation was ongoing. The two men burned to death in the Tiguan were identified as participants in the Iron Slag Street shooting who had escaped. One was called Xiao Zhuan, and the other was called Xiao Wa, both from Fujian and cousins. They were well-known in the underworld, having operated in Japan and Hong Kong's Causeway Bay. They never expected to be burned alive in a car.

The involved Tiguan and dump truck were stolen, and the guns were black market weapons from Myanmar. There were no other leads.

Gu Changjun knew he was facing a death sentence and decided to remain silent. As a former police officer, he was well-versed in police tactics, and no method could break him. The task force had to seek higher approval.

The provincial police leadership instructed a full-scale offensive to break Gu Changjun's silence.

The Jiangbei police made significant progress. The teenager who stabbed Liu Hande's mother was identified as Zhang Minghua. According to his confession, he was a hired "amateur killer." Someone found him online and paid him 5,000 Q coins to kill a middle-aged woman, providing the address and a photo. He was paid half upfront, with the remaining half to be paid upon completion.

Zhang Minghua bought a fruit knife and a 250ml bottle of Erguotou, drank to build his courage, and went to commit the murder. He stabbed wildly twice and fled. He was caught by the police within a day.

"I'm under eighteen; you can't do anything to me," Zhang Minghua said nonchalantly.

...

In the Jinjiang Public Security Bureau, a rumor was spreading privately. Gu Changjun, who had supposedly died of a heart attack in the detention room in early September, had mysteriously come back to life and was captured by the provincial police. He was now being secretly interrogated in Jiangbei.

Many people were uneasy. In the deputy director's office, three people visited in just five minutes, all close subordinates of Hao Guanghui, including those from the criminal investigation and forensic departments. They were the ones who had staged Gu Changjun's fake death, replacing him with Gu Changmin's body and creating the illusion of a suicide. They claimed he died of a heart attack and even dealt with two police officers involved to make it more convincing.

However, this deception did not fool Wan Xudong. It wasn't because of any flaws in the plan but because Wan Xudong had been tasked with gathering evidence of Hao Guanghui's misconduct for some time. He was suspicious of everything and investigated every detail, eventually deducing that Gu Changjun was still alive. However, Hao Guanghui's plan was flawless, and there was no concrete evidence to charge him. The only way was to capture Gu Changjun alive.

By a stroke of luck, Gu Changjun, due to his paranoid nature, did not flee to a foreign country but chose to seek revenge. The police secretly monitored Liu Hande's surroundings, but they did not anticipate that Gu Changjun would hire a hitman to attack Liu Hande's family as a diversion, allowing him to act on the highway. The police were unprepared, and their vehicles were unsuitable for high-speed chases. If not for Liu Hande's quick thinking and Wang Xing's assistance, Gu Changjun might have succeeded.

Thinking about this, Wan Xudong broke out in a cold sweat. It was a close call.

While some were celebrating, others were in despair. Wan Xudong's victory left Hao Guanghui seething with anger. "Gu Changjun, I gave you a way out, and you didn't appreciate it. Now you've dragged us all down. I should have eliminated you."

It was too late for regrets. Deputy Director Hao maintained a calm demeanor, comforting his loyal subordinates. "Don't worry. Deception is a part of war. This is just a trick by Wan Xudong to deceive us. Gu Changjun is in Honduras. You know how slippery he is. How could they catch him?"

His subordinates were half-convinced but still uneasy.

Hao Guanghui picked up the phone and started gathering information. According to the highway police, there was indeed an incident on the road involving gunfire, deaths, and damaged vehicles. The scene was gruesome.

"Could this be a setup by Wan Xudong?" Hao Guanghui pondered, lighting a cigarette and tapping his fingers on the desk. If it was a setup, the cost was too high, but they were targeting not just him but also higher-ups. Spending the money was worth it.

Stay calm, he told himself. This was a time to remain composed.

The next day, he attended meetings and inspections as usual, showing no signs of distress.

When Wan Xudong heard that Hao Guanghui showed no reaction, he stroked his chin. "The old fox is composed. We need to put more pressure on him."

Thus, Gu Changjun was publicly brought to the Jiangbei Public Security Bureau, processed for criminal detention, photographed, and entered into the case file.

Gu Changjun could guess Wan Xudong's motives, but he was now at their mercy and could not communicate with the outside world. He had no choice but to cooperate.

The news reached Jinjiang, and this time, Hao Guanghui could no longer remain calm. Gu Changjun was really captured, and it was only a matter of time before the truth came out. Even if he denied everything, the police could break through with others.

It was lunchtime, and Hao Guanghui opened the bottom drawer of his desk, taking out three passports: one from Costa Rica, one from Canada, and one from China, but with a fake name. He also grabbed some cash—500-euro notes and 100-dollar bills—and stuffed them into a black leather bag. He left without his phone, hurried to the underground parking lot, and got into an inconspicuous Hyundai Elantra with a civilian license plate, driving out of the bureau.

The security guard at the gate greeted him warmly. "Director Hao, going out?"

"Going to the station to pick up my son," Hao Guanghui said with a friendly nod and drove away.

"Director Hao doesn't use the official car for personal matters; he's really clean," the guard remarked.

Next to the bureau was the National Security Bureau. A civilian-registered Mercedes-Benz followed Hao Guanghui's Elantra at a distance. Learning from the highway incident, the task force did not send a low-end car like a Santana but a 3.0-liter Mercedes E300, with two Audi A6s assisting in the surveillance.

Hao Guanghui, with one hand on the steering wheel, took out a phone from the storage compartment and turned it on. This was an unregistered number, never used before, capable of making international calls.

It was midnight in Canada, and the phone rang for a long time before someone answered. The background was loud rock music, and an impatient male voice said, "Who is it?"

"Hao Shuai, it's Dad."

"Dad, so late? I'm busy writing a thesis," the music volume dropped, and Hao Guanghui imagined his son mingling with foreigners, drinking, smoking marijuana, and enjoying strip shows, living a life of luxury and debauchery.

He sighed. "Son, focus on your studies. I sent you abroad to learn, not to play."

"Okay, stop nagging. I'm hanging up," his son's voice became agitated.

"Son, there might be some trouble here..." Hao Guanghui didn't finish before the call was cut off.