Chapter 13: Inexplicable Fire
1. Injured
Mengzi's secondhand van kicked up a cloud of dust and disappeared around the corner of the road leading from the town to the county. Qin Chuan and Ouyang Lanlan stood by the roadside. For a moment, the quiet of the rural afternoon enveloped them with a sense of unreality and trance.
The impact of last night's news hadn't fully subsided. Huang Chao's death, like a boulder dropped into a lake, still reverberated in my heart. The discovery that Huang Qiang might have a deceased brother who once fiercely protected him, far from solving the mystery, only deepened and distorted the shadow surrounding Huang Qiang. Was his brother connected to the December 4th incidents? If not him, who was the other person at the scene? All of this was buried in the earth with Huang Chao's death, leaving only endless speculation.
"Brother Mengzi is really nice. He said he'd pick us up later, so he definitely came." Qin Chuan broke the silence, his voice carrying a hint of deliberate lightness, trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere between them. "He said there's a wild mountain nearby with nice scenery. We're just waiting for him to come back and pick us up anyway, so why not go for a walk? It's better than just standing there."
Ouyang Lanlan nodded. She really needed to do something to distract herself, otherwise her mind would keep replaying Mengzi's heavy expression as he recounted the night before, and the darker images of Huang Qiang's past that it led to. The mountains in the north were completely different from the beauty of Linzhou; they held a rugged, savage, and primal power.
The mountain path was truly undeveloped, a narrow, well-trodden path winding upward. The surrounding trees weren't particularly dense, but they were overgrown with weeds and jagged rocks. The air was cool and clean, carrying the scent of dry grass and earth. Occasionally, a bird would flutter up from the bushes, adding a strong sense of pristine nature.
Ouyang Lanlan walked carefully, having traded her high heels for the flats she'd bought in town, but she still wasn't used to the bumpy road. Qin Chuan walked half a step ahead of her, occasionally reaching out to push aside a slanting branch or to help her if she stumbled.
"This place... is quite quiet." Ouyang Lanlan said softly, her breathing slightly quickened due to climbing the hill.
"Yeah, it's better than the city." Qin Chuan replied, his eyes habitually scanning the surrounding environment, "The mountains and rivers of our Northeast are still more comfortable and pleasing to the eye."
The two chatted haphazardly, studiously avoiding the topics of Longdu, Huang Qiang, and their bloody past. They discussed the differences between the mountains of the north and the south, the distinct smells in the air, and even the most delicious dish from last night's farmhouse meal. The conversation was stiff and fragile, like a thin layer of ice, carefully maintained, afraid that a single push would shatter the chill beneath.
I climbed quite high before I knew it. Looking back, I saw the small town scattered like building blocks in the valley, its roofs reflecting the late afternoon sun. The wind picked up, making my clothes flutter and my hair messy.
When we were going down the mountain, an accident happened.
Ouyang Lanlan stepped on a loose stone and her ankle twisted suddenly. She felt a piercing pain and screamed "Ah". Her body instantly lost balance and fell down.
"Be careful!" Qin Chuan reacted very quickly, grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
Ouyang Lanlan stood on one leg. The pain was so severe that cold sweat broke out on her forehead and her lips turned pale. She didn't dare to touch the ground with her injured foot.
"How is it? Can you move?" Qin Chuan squatted down with a frown.
Ouyang Lanlan tried to move her ankle slightly, and immediately gasped and shook her head in pain: "It hurts... I think I twisted it."
Qin Chuan checked his ankle and saw it was visibly swollen. "We need to go back and apply cold compresses." He stood up, looked at the steep downhill path, then at Ouyang Lanlan's painful and pale face. Without hesitation, he half-knelt in front of her and said, "Come up."
"Ah?" Ouyang Lanlan was stunned and subconsciously took a half step back, but stumbled because of the pain in her injured foot. "No... no need, I can walk slowly..."
"Why are you walking so slowly? It's getting dark, and the temperature is dropping even faster. Stop dawdling, and get on top." Qin Chuan's tone was undeniable, with a long-lost, police-like decisiveness, even a touch of dominance. He tilted his head, his strong profile looking particularly reliable in the mountain breeze.
Ouyang Lanlan looked at his broad back and hesitated for a few seconds. The pain and reality made it impossible for her to maintain her useless reserve. Finally, with a red face, she carefully leaned forward.
Qin Chuan held her knees firmly and stood up. His steps were steady, and he took each step on the rugged mountain road with almost no sway. Ouyang Lanlan was a little stiff at first, her hands resting loosely on his shoulders, but as he moved in a steady rhythm, she gradually relaxed and had to hold his neck tighter to maintain her balance.
The man's warmth, mingling with the faint scent of tobacco and sweat, was not unpleasant, but rather strangely reassuring. Her cheek inevitably pressed against the side of his neck, and she could feel the beating of his pulse and the warmth of his skin. The close proximity made her ears burn, and her heartbeat felt strangely erratic. She could only cast her gaze on the rolling hills in the distance, pretending to take in the scenery.
The silence became somewhat subtle and awkward.
"Um...thank you." Ouyang Lanlan said in a low voice, her voice almost blown away by the wind.
"What are you thanking me for? I can't just leave you on the mountain." Qin Chuan's voice sounded very calm, his breathing was even, showing good physical strength.
After walking a little further, Ouyang Lanlan took the initiative to bring up the topic in order to break the uneasy silence: "Speaking of which, the past few years in Linzhou, although always frightening, have also been quite interesting."
"Oh? For example?" Qin Chuan asked following her words.
"For example, I found a place that serves delicious snail noodles." Ouyang Lanlan's voice was filled with a genuine smile, "but the smell is a bit too strong. Every time I order takeout, I dare not have it delivered upstairs, so I put it in the lobby downstairs. And guess what? Every time the lady in the property management office sees my takeout arrives, she will definitely call me within three minutes to urge me: 'Ms. Ouyang, your takeout has arrived, please come down and get it quickly!' She's afraid that the smell will marinate her front desk!" She imitated the lady in the property management office's Mandarin with a Linzhou accent, perfectly.
Qin Chuan couldn't help but chuckle, the vibration of his chest coming through their bodies pressed together: "So did you order more later?"
"Order it! It's so delicious, I can't help it!" Ouyang Lanlan also laughed, "Later, I felt embarrassed, so I asked my elder sister, how about I order an extra portion each time and invite you to eat together? But my elder sister was so scared that she waved her hands repeatedly: 'No, no, Miss Ouyang, you are too polite, I can't eat this!'"
They both laughed, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.
"What about you?" Ouyang Lanlan asked, "Your four years have been quite fulfilling." She carefully considered her words. From a criminal police officer to a night snack stall owner, to a security guard and a delivery man, the experience was indeed "rich" enough.
Qin Chuan laughed at himself and said, "To experience life."
After a pause, he continued, "Actually, my childhood dream was to be a truck driver. I thought that was cool. I could travel a lot and make a lot of money!"
"What happened next?" Ouyang Lanlan seemed interested.
"Later, when I grew up, I realized that truck drivers weren't that good either. Haha, I also watched a movie called Bodyguard from Beijing!"
"The one played by Jet Li?"
"Yes, I wanted to be a bodyguard, protecting people I considered important. But then I realized there were no universities offering this program in high school, so I applied to the police academy and ended up working there for over ten years."
"Do you like being a police officer?" Ouyang Lanlan asked, but seemed to realize that the question was inappropriate.
Qin Chuan changed the subject: "Everything I do is an experience. I'm currently a food delivery driver and also a social observer. Have you noticed a pattern when I was setting up a night snack stall?"
"What pattern?"
"People with tattoos seem to be particularly afraid of heat." Qin Chuan said seriously.
"Ah? Why?" Ouyang Lanlan's curiosity was indeed aroused.
"Because they always like to go shirtless in the summer." After Qin Chuan said this, he couldn't help laughing again.
Ouyang Lanlan was stunned for two seconds before she realized that this was a cold joke that couldn't be any colder. She hit Qin Chuan's shoulder and said, "It's not funny at all!"
Even so, she couldn't help but curl her lips. The mountain breeze blew, and the setting sun stretched their shadows, interweaving them and casting them across the gravel road. At that moment, it seemed as if the heavy, bloody past had been temporarily isolated from these northern mountains.
As she laughed, Ouyang Lanlan's smile gradually faded. She leaned on Qin Chuan's back and spoke in a very soft voice, as if she was talking to him, or as if she was talking to herself: "Qin Chuan..."
"Um?"
"Why are you so persistent?" she asked the question that had been lingering in her heart for a long time. "For these four years, you could have had your own life. Why did you have to hold on to him? Even to the point of putting yourself in this situation?"
Qin Chuan didn't stop walking. He was silent for more than ten seconds. The mountain wind blew through the trees, making a rustling sound. Then, he spoke in a low and steady voice without the slightest hesitation:
"Because once you've made a promise, you have to keep it."
It was a simple sentence, but it was like a stone dropped into a lake, sending ripples through Ouyang Lanlan's heart. She recalled four years ago, in the cold hall of the Longdu City Police Station, with snow pouring in through the cracks in the door. He had taken out his police ID and slapped it on the metal cabinet, saying, "If we lose this time and can't catch him, I, Qin Chuan, will take off this police uniform!"
That was not just a word spoken in anger, but a vow engraved in one's bones and blood.
She stopped talking, but silently tightened her arms around his neck.
2. Preparation
Just as Qin Chuan was carrying Ouyang Lanlan on his back and walking carefully down the mountain path, and the slightly awkward and subtle atmosphere between the two was gradually easing, at the edge of the town at the foot of the mountain, another silent "hunt" preparation was underway.
Huang Qiang didn't rush around like a headless chicken. After deciding to act, his mind, like a precise, cold machine, began to work at high speed, planning every step. The first thing he needed was a disguise and tools.
He didn't choose the largest supermarket in the town center, which was full of cameras and crowded with people. Instead, he turned into a quiet alley on the edge of town. There were a few gray-looking grocery stores and hardware stores catering to local residents.
The first shop sold labor protection supplies and cheap clothing. Workwear, garishly colored but of questionable quality, hung at the door. Huang Qiang lowered his cap—a stealth hat he'd picked up somewhere along the way, not something he wore regularly. A mask covered his face, revealing only his expressionless eyes. He walked in, his gaze quickly scanning the shelves.
"Boss, get me a pair of cloth shoes." His voice sounded a little muffled through the mask, and he deliberately added a vague accent, which was unlike his usual tone of voice.
The shop owner was a sleepy old man. He raised his eyelids and pointed vaguely to the shoe rack in the corner.
Huang Qiang walked over, quickly running his fingers through the pairs of shoes, and finally picked out a pair of dark blue, sturdy-looking safety shoes. The key point was that the size he took was two sizes larger than his usual size.
"What size?" the old man asked lazily.
"This is it." Huang Qiang handed the shoes over and asked directly, "How much?" without answering the question about the size.
He paid in cash, took the shoes in a thin plastic bag, and walked away without a single unnecessary movement or word.
After leaving the store, he didn't put on his new shoes immediately, but stuffed the bag into his backpack. Then, he quickened his pace to avoid attracting the attention of those around him, and walked around to several shops in the other direction.
At a small hardware store, he bought thick cotton gloves and a pair of ordinary white yarn gloves. At another general store, he bought a green plastic oil bottle, which was just enough.
Every time he entered or left a store, he lowered his head slightly, avoiding direct camera coverage. Every time, he used cash. Every time, he stayed briefly, asked simple questions, and left immediately after making his purchase.
The last and most critical link is fuel.
He couldn't go to a regular gas station, where he couldn't buy small amounts of gasoline, and his explanation would easily arouse suspicion. He set his sights on the residents at the town entrance, where motorcycles and tricycles were parked. He needed a small amount of gasoline whose source was difficult to trace.
He walked aimlessly along the dirt road at the edge of town, backpack on his back, as if looking for something. Finally, he saw a middle-aged man squatting in the yard of a house, repairing an old motorcycle.
Huang Qiang stopped and stood outside the courtyard gate, trying hard to squeeze out a hint of just the right amount of anxiety and embarrassment on his face, which made his plain face look more human.
"Excuse me, bro!" He raised his voice with a foreign accent.
The man raised his head, his face stained with oil, and looked at him in confusion.
Huang Qiang pointed in the direction behind him, his tone filled with annoyance: "Brother, I'm so unlucky. My motorcycle ran out of gas halfway and can't move. There's no village or shop nearby. I saw you have a motorcycle, so I want to discuss something with you. Can you give me some gas? I'll pay!" He shook the brand new green plastic oil bottle in his hand.
The man frowned and looked at him: "Need gasoline? Can't you go to the gas station?"
"Isn't there anything nearby?" Huang Qiang had already prepared an excuse, and his tone was even more helpless. "My motorcycle broke down a little below the fork in the road ahead. It's getting late. If I push it over there, how long will it take? I'm at my wit's end..."
His words were logical and his expression was spot-on. Country folks are generally simple and honest, and seeing his anxious expression, the man didn't seem like a bad person. He hesitated for a moment, then stood up. "Oh, so, a little oil wouldn't be a problem. I have a barrel of oil here. How much do you want?"
"Not much, not much, just enough to drive to the nearest gas station." Huang Qiang quickly handed over the oil can, "Please put in as much as you can. Thank you, brother, you are really a great help!" He thanked him repeatedly with a sincere attitude.
The man brought out a small oil drum from the house and carefully filled Huang Qiang's green oil bottle with some. "Is that enough?"
"That's enough! Thank you so much!" Huang Qiang took the oil bottle, quickly put the lid back on, and took out the twenty yuan in cash he had prepared long ago from his pocket and stuffed it into the man's pocket. "It's just a small token of my appreciation. Don't think it's too little!"
The man declined twice, but finally accepted it. He thought the deal was insignificant, and even considered it a favor to others.
Huang Qiang thanked him profusely and left. The moment he turned around, all the anxiety and gratitude on his face disappeared, returning to his calm, stagnant state. He quickly stuffed the oil bottle into the large bag he was carrying, along with his shoes and gloves.
He did not act immediately, but continued to look for a secluded place, and finally came to an abandoned brick kiln at the other end of the town. It was overgrown with weeds and rarely visited by people.
He stopped and looked around vigilantly. After confirming that there was no one around, he began his final preparations.
He first removed his shoes and put on a new pair of work boots, two sizes too large. He wrapped his old shoes tightly in a plastic bag and tucked them into a discreet crevice deep in the grass. Then he pulled on his thick cotton gloves, then topped them with white yarn gloves. Finally, he took off his coat and put it on inside out—it was a reversible coat, the other side a completely different color and style. He even changed his hat.
After completing all this, he has become a completely different person - from his clothes to the size of his shoes, everything is completely different from his usual self. Even if someone vaguely observes his behavior, the description of his characteristics will be different from his real self.
He checked the time and estimated the pace of Qin Chuan and Ouyang Lanlan. Then, he began to move. Instead of taking the main road, he chose a more secluded path leading to the foot of the mountain and began to wind his way up.
His movements were calm and patient, like a most experienced hunter, setting deadly traps step by step and waiting for the prey to get into the best hunting position.
3. Accident
Halfway up the mountain, there's an abandoned ranger's hut. Its adobe walls, the wooden window frames mostly rotted, and the roof half collapsed, overgrown with weeds. It looks like it's been abandoned for years, serving as a temporary resting place for those entering the mountains.
"Let's take a break." Qin Chuan carried Ouyang Lanlan to the front of the house and carefully placed her on a relatively flat stone at the door. Fine beads of sweat oozed from his forehead.
"Yeah." Ouyang Lanlan nodded. The swelling and pain in her injured ankle seemed to have worsened after the bumpy ride.
Qin Chuan walked into the shabby house and took a look. It was empty except for a few scattered chairs and a bed. The air was filled with the smell of dust and mildew. He checked it out and made sure there was no danger before walking out. "There's a chair inside. You can go in and sit for a while. I'll smoke a cigarette outside."
He leaned against the adobe wall, pulled a cigarette from the box, lit it, and took a deep drag. The nicotine scent seemed to dispel some of the fatigue and depression. He had a unique smoking habit: at the end of a puff, he would carefully stub out the cigarette butt between his thumb and index finger, twisting it into a twisted, tight knot before discarding it. This was a brand he had only recently become accustomed to; it was common in Linzhou but harder to find in the Northeast.
Ouyang Lanlan didn't go into the house at first, but sat beside Qin Chuan, quietly looking at the mountains in the distance. The setting sun gave them a warm golden edge. If it weren't for those troubles, the tranquility at this moment might be called beautiful.
However, they didn't know that a pair of cold eyes were hiding behind a dense bush not far below, staring at them like a lurking poisonous snake.
Huang Qiang.
He actually followed me here!
His gaze was fixed on the two people standing in front of the dilapidated house, especially Ouyang Lanlan, who was crouching beside Qin Chuan. Their intimate, dependent posture was like a poisonous sting, piercing his twisted heart. A frenzied mixture of anger, jealousy, and provocation swirled in his eyes. Did they know about Huang Chao? How dare they delve into his past! Did they think they had won?
No. We can't let them investigate further. We can't let them return to Linzhou with this information.
A crazy and vicious idea instantly formed in his mind.
After Qin Chuan finished smoking, he saw Ouyang Lanlan shivering a little, and said, "It's too cold. Let's go inside and warm up." The two of them walked into the house, and Qin Chuan closed the door to block the strong cold wind.
Huang Qiang, like a ghost, used the terrain as a cover to quietly walk around to the door of the dilapidated house. There was a pile of dried and rotten firewood left by the forest rangers in the past. He first carefully picked up a thicker stick and pressed it against the door panel, so that the door could not be opened from the inside. Afterwards, the stick would turn into a pile of ash.
Then he carefully and evenly sprinkled the liquid from a small bottle he carried on the dry wood and weeds around the house, especially near the doors and windows.
His movements were eerily calm, without a tremor, as if he were not planning a murder but carrying out an everyday task.
Then he took out his lighter.
With a faint "crack" sound, orange flames jumped up, and the fuel and dry grass they came into contact with were instantly ignited. The flames seemed to have come to life, quickly spreading and climbing along the splashing trajectory, greedily licking the dry wooden windows and door panels!
Almost at the same time, Qin Chuan, who was checking Ouyang Lanlan's foot injury in the house, both smelled the unusual, pungent smell of smoke!
"What's that smell?" Ouyang Lanlan turned back suddenly.
Qin Chuan's face suddenly changed, and he put down the wet wipes in his hand: "It's on fire!"
Fires had already erupted from the back and sides of the dilapidated house, billowing with thick smoke! Furthermore, the flames were spreading towards the front door at an alarming speed! The only exit was being blocked by flames and smoke!
"Let's go!" Qin Chuan pulled Ouyang Lanlan up and wanted to carry her on his back.
But the fire spread too quickly! The strong wind whipped up the flames, making a whirring sound, and the thick smoke made it impossible to open your eyes, making it impossible to rush out of the door!
"Cough cough...door...I can't get out!" Ouyang Lanlan was choked by the thick smoke and coughed violently, tears streaming down her face. Fear instantly gripped her.
"Go over there!" Qin Chuan made a quick decision and dragged Ouyang Lanlan, who had an injured leg, back to the side window that looked the most dilapidated. Thick smoke had already poured into the house, rapidly reducing visibility and causing the temperature to rise sharply.
Qin Chuan took off his coat and quickly put it over Ouyang Lanlan's head. He then tore off the hem of his shirt, soaked it with water from the canteen he brought with him, and covered her mouth and nose with it: "Cover it! Lower your head! Don't breathe in the smoke!"
He covered his mouth and nose with his wet sleeves, squinted his eyes, aimed at the rotten window frame, and slammed into it with all his strength!
"Bang!" The rotten wooden window frame made a crisp sound of breaking, but did not completely fall apart.
Outside, Huang Qiang watched the fire grow indifferently, a cruel smile curling his lips. He didn't leave, but instead carefully walked around to the side and pulled a small object from his pocket—a cigarette butt of a specific brand he had found at the takeout station, which Qin Chuan had extinguished and discarded. He chose his moment and, from a distance, flicked the distinctive butt into a conspicuous spot at the edge of the fire.
After doing all this, he disappeared quickly down the mountain path like a ghost.
"Bang!" Qin Chuan slammed into the wall for the second time! This time, the window frame and part of the adobe wall collapsed, leaving a gap!
"Let's go!" He half-carried and half-pushed Ouyang Lanlan out through the gap, and jumped out right after her.
The two men tumbled to the ground, their bodies covered in ash and dirt, looking miserable. Ouyang Lanlan's injured foot was touched again, and the pain almost made her faint. Qin Chuan's arm was also scratched by the broken wood, and blood oozed out.
They stared at the burning house in front of them in shock, the flames illuminating their terrified faces. Almost, just a little bit, they would be burned to death in there!
"What happened? Why did the fire suddenly break out?" Ouyang Lanlan's voice trembled and she was crying.
Qin Chuan didn't answer, his eyes scanning the ground and his surroundings sharply. At the edge of the fire, a familiar small object caught his eye. Enduring the pain in his arm, he quickly walked over and carefully poked it out with a branch. It was a cigarette butt, half burnt black, but the brand and twisted shape were still visible!
It was the brand he had just smoked and thrown away, and it was the brand he had the unique habit of extinguishing with his flick!
His heart instantly turned cold! This was not an accident!
Because he clearly remembered where he had thrown the cigarette butt he had just smoked, he looked around and saw another cigarette butt, which was the one he had just smoked.
He suddenly raised his head, his eyes sweeping across the silent forest around him like lightning - except for the sound of wind and the crackling of fire, there was no one around.
But he knew he had been there. He had seen them, followed them, and set the fire. He had even been so meticulous as to pick up his own discarded cigarette butt and throw it back into the fire, making it look like an accident!
"Is it him?" Ouyang Lanlan saw the half-smoked cigarette butt in Qin Chuan's hand and seemed to understand something. Her face was as pale as paper.
Qin Chuan slowly clenched his fist, squeezing the scalding cigarette butt tightly in his palm. His knuckles turned white from the force. His voice was low, filled with suppressed anger and icy coldness. He said, "It's nothing. Don't think too much!"
Voices and noisy footsteps were heard from the foot of the mountain. The nearby villagers saw the wildfire and rushed over with buckets of water and tools to put out the fire.
A sudden firestorm was gradually extinguished by the efforts of the villagers, leaving behind only smoking ruins and a mess. The villagers discussed this unexpected wildfire and were thankful that no one was killed.
Qin Chuan and Ouyang Lanlan thanked the villagers and said they had accidentally ignited the hay. Looking at the charred landscape, their hearts felt colder than the northern night wind.
The war was far from over, and the enemy's madness and cruelty had already exceeded their expectations.
3. Open Card
Back in Linzhou, the air seemed stagnant, every breath carrying an invisible pressure. The wildfire incident was like a watershed, burning all the previous attempts, disguises, and secret struggles to ashes. Since Huang Qiang had followed them north and killed them without hesitation, it meant that he no longer cared about being exposed. Or rather, he was confident that even if he was exposed, he could escape and even devour them.
We can't wait any longer.
The next afternoon, on the rooftop of the takeaway station.
There were some discarded cardboard boxes and sundries piled up here, and the wind was so strong that it made people's clothes rustle. Qin Chuan leaned against the rusty iron railings and watched Huang Qiang push open the creaking iron door leading to the rooftop.
Huang Qiang didn't seem surprised to see Qin Chuan. He remained silent and insignificant, but the cold, confident look in his eyes became even more pronounced. He walked a few steps away from Qin Chuan and stopped without saying a word, as if waiting for him to speak first.
Qin Chuan didn't beat around the bush and directly tore off the last bit of his disguise. He took out a cigarette case, lit one, took a puff, and then looked at Huang Qiang. His tone was terrifyingly calm, as if he was stating an established fact:
"Stop pretending. I know you saw through me a long time ago."
Huang Qiang's eyelids moved slightly, but he didn't say anything.
Qin Chuan continued, his voice clear in the wind: "From the moment you discovered Ouyang was asking about you, to the moment you recognized me, to the moment you picked up my cigarette butt, followed me to the north, and set that fire... you were just playing along with me, right?"
He exhaled a puff of smoke, which was instantly blown away by the wind: "What a coincidence, I'm also playing along with you."
Huang Qiang finally spoke, his voice dry but with a hint of mockery: "Oh?"
"Otherwise, how can I further confirm that you are the person I'm looking for?" Qin Chuan stared into his eyes and spoke word by word, "Let's get to know each other again. Qin Chuan, former criminal police officer of the Longdu City Criminal Investigation Detachment, and leader of the special task force for the '12.4 Serial Rape Case' four years ago."
He raised his hand and pointed to the distance of the city. "And that lady, you recognize her, right? She was the fourth victim back then, the only one you failed to save and allowed to survive."
"I chased you to Linzhou not to play hide-and-seek with you. I wanted to tell you that the game is over." Qin Chuan's voice suddenly rose, carrying a fierce momentum, "You can't run away."
The wind howled on the rooftop. Huang Qiang listened quietly, his face devoid of any panic or anger at being exposed. Instead, he slowly and distortedly grinned, revealing a row of overly straight teeth, and let out his signature "chi chi" laugh, like a leaky bellows.
"Hehe...chichi..." He laughed a few times before stopping, his eyes filled with amusement and a kind of condescending pity. "Officer Qin, you told a good story. It's very exciting."
He leaned forward slightly, his voice low and sharp as a venomous snake: "But where's the evidence?"
"You've said so much—speculation, tracking, even that I set the fire—but where's the evidence?" He spread his hands, looking helpless. "Who saw it? Who proved it? That cigarette butt? What does it prove? Accidental fires—isn't that normal?"
Qin Chuan's heart sank. Huang Qiang's reaction was more formidable than he had anticipated. This fearlessness stemmed from his precise grasp of legal loopholes and his extreme confidence in his ability to conceal himself.
"Oh, right," Huang Qiang seemed to suddenly remember something and casually pointed with his chin at a huge billboard on the office building across the street. It advertised a local mediation program. "Speaking of stories, let me tell you one too. It's about a... well, let's call him 'Old Uncle'. It's about Old Uncle."
His tone became flat, even with a kind of detached indifference, as if he were telling someone else's story:
"My uncle is a gas deliveryman. He may be a little slow and meticulous in his work, but he is always serious and hardworking."
"There was a single mother with a very bad temper. He was very reluctant to go to her house to deliver gas because she always felt that he wasted time. Maybe she was very thirsty, so every time she went to deliver gas, she would scold him."
"That time, he was really upset. The woman stood at the door and scolded him. It was very ugly. She said he was clumsy, that he was dilly-dallying like a woman, and asked if he hadn't eaten. She scolded him for more than ten minutes, and the neighbors were all listening."
Huang Qiang's eyes grew dark, as if lost in some memory, but his tone remained eerily calm. "The gas delivery man lowered his head and didn't say a word. He just listened and remembered. That night, he changed his clothes, put on a hat, and went to the woman's house. He knew she lived alone and her children were boarding at school."
"He was holding some strong tape. He was so strong, the woman couldn't break free at all." Huang Qiang's voice was filled with an indescribable, nostalgic pleasure. "After the deed was done, he even made a little souvenir according to his own ideas. The woman didn't dare call the police and moved out crying overnight. Later, the gas delivery man discovered that this thing is quite addictive."
The story ended. A dead silence fell on the rooftop.
Qin Chuan's blood nearly froze. He could tell Huang Qiang was describing what was most likely his first crime! An initial victim whose case had never been filed, vanishing into the vast sea of humanity! He spoke in the third person, calmly and even with a hint of boasting, like throwing a bloody bone in front of you, telling you: I ate it, but you can't do anything to me.
"How's that, Officer Qin? What's the story?" Huang Qiang tilted his head, watching Qin Chuan's instantly pale face and clenched fists. His smile widened. "I've told you the answer, but it's a pity you didn't go through the process. Many things are like this. I know it, you know it, but that's all."
He took a step forward, almost in front of Qin Chuan, his voice as low as a whisper, but full of deadly threats: "The game is not over yet. Now, it's my turn."
"You've investigated me so much, it's time for me to repay you." His eyes passed Qin Chuan, as if he could see Ouyang Lanlan busy downstairs, "The two of you are just right for company."
After saying this, he stopped looking at Qin Chuan and turned around. Just like when he came in, he silently pushed open the iron door and walked down the stairs. The "chi chi" laughter, like the sound of metal rubbing against each other, faintly came from the stairwell and echoed in Qin Chuan's ears for a long time, cold and piercing.
A new round has begun.
The last fig leaf was completely torn off. What followed was no longer a pursuit and counter-pursuit in the shadows, but a life-and-death struggle in the open.
Qin Chuan stood on the rooftop, the cold wind blowing against his face, yet he felt a fire burning within him. Huang Qiang's final words weren't the harsh words of a loser, but a declaration. He must be plotting a more elaborate and sinister plan, one that would drag him and Ouyang Lanlan into hell together.
The storm is coming.
(End of Chapter 13)
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