Chapter 38
Gong Yingxian said, “Answer my question again.”
Zhou Chuan whispered, “I really don’t know who set the fire, and I don’t know the car owner either.”
“How did you all agree to commit arson and burn the car? Tell me everything from the start.”
“Well… on Seraphim, someone posted saying they’d burn a car at a certain time and place, so I went to try my luck…”
“Bullshit!” Ren Yi cursed.
Zhou Chuan instinctively crossed his arms to shield his face, visibly trembling in fear.
Gong Yingxian coldly stared at Zhou Chuan. “Forum posts are designed to protect user information. No one would be stupid enough to write down exact crime details like time and place. It seems you didn’t listen to a word I said earlier.”
Zhou Chuan stammered, “Someone sent me a private message…”
“Where’s the message? Who sent it? What did it say?”
“I deleted it after reading it. It was just the time and place. Both the post and the private message were anonymous.” Zhou Chuan’s voice grew softer and softer.
Gong Yingxian squinted his eyes. “Are you sure you want to protect someone you ‘don’t know’? If we don’t catch them, you’ll be held responsible for everything.”
Zhou Chuan sneaked a glance at Gong Yingxian. “I-I didn’t do it. I just, just recorded the video.”
It wasn’t just Gong Yingxian; even Ren Yi now wanted to strangle Zhou Chuan.
Seeing Gong Yingxian’s face grow darker and darker, Zhou Chuan blurted, “Officer Gong, I want to cooperate, I really do! I just don’t know. Really! The guy was in his thirties, medium build, no obvious accent—that’s all I know.”
Gong Yingxian stared at Zhou Chuan for a while, then suddenly asked, “Was the person who set the car on fire the same one who gave you the information?”
“No,” Zhou Chuan quickly replied, but then immediately corrected himself, “I don’t know.”
Ren Yi silently cheered. Gong Yingxian had caught the flaw in Zhou Chuan’s statement.
Gong Yingxian sneered. “So, you know they’re not the same person. It’s not the arsonist you’re protecting but the person who gave you the information.”
Zhou Chuan’s face turned pale, shaking his head. “I don’t know.”
Gong Yingxian pressed further, “Why? Who is he? What’s your connection?”
“I really don’t know,” Zhou Chuan mumbled with his head down. “It was anonymous. I don’t know him, and I don’t know the person who set the fire.”
Gong Yingxian tapped a high-quality pen against his notebook and spoke slowly, “Zhou Chuan, you graduated from a 211 university. I don’t know how you ended up like this, but you’re smart, capable of thinking. Haven’t you wondered why we caught you in the act?”
Zhou Chuan’s shoulders shrank further.
“Do you think someone who broke into a fire scene to film, got detained for 48 hours, and fined 200 yuan, is worth wasting police resources on to arrest? Let me be blunt with you—we’ve formed a special task force and have been investigating Seraphim for months. Three months ago, someone posted about an arson exchange on the Apocalypse forum, which is linked to another arson case.”
Zhou Chuan trembled all over, twisting his fingers as if desperately trying to suppress his reaction.
Gong Yingxian and Ren Yi exchanged a satisfied glance—Zhou Chuan was starting to take the bait.
“We’ve already narrowed down several suspects. If we keep investigating, do you think we’ll trace it back to your friends?”
Zhou Chuan pressed his lips together.
“I told you from the start, I’m giving you a chance to redeem yourself because I know you’re not the same as those arsonists. You just wanted to make some money, but you’re too ungrateful to take the opportunity.” Gong Yingxian suddenly raised his voice. “Look at me!”
Zhou Chuan snapped upright, staring in fear at the intimidating Gong Yingxian.
“You burn a car, pay for the damages, and you’ll be out in a few years. But you know how serious that fire was,” Gong Yingxian growled. “If you protect him, you’re an accomplice, and you might spend the rest of your life in prison.”
“What does that case have to do with me?!” Zhou Chuan shouted, his voice cracking. “I never even went to that neighborhood! Just because you’re a cop doesn’t mean you can falsely accuse me!”
Gong Yingxian frowned, and Ren Yi’s heart nearly skipped a beat.
The neighborhood?
Gong Yingxian had only mentioned arson in general, hoping to scare Zhou Chuan into believing they had been monitoring Seraphim for months and had gathered a mountain of evidence. If they could extract useful information, all the better. But they hadn’t expected Zhou Chuan to bring up a “neighborhood.”
There was only one major arson case confirmed in the past three months in a neighborhood—Wanyuan Community! Could the Wanyuan arson case be connected to Seraphim?!
Ren Yi turned away, afraid Zhou Chuan would notice any slip-up. His hand, now clenched into a fist inside his pocket, betrayed how fast his heart was racing.
Gong Yingxian took a deep breath, his expression remaining calm. “The Wanyuan Community arson case—are you sure it has nothing to do with you?”
“It has nothing to do with me!”
“But you know who did it.”
Zhou Chuan’s eyes turned bloodshot, his entire face twisted with tension.
“He killed six people, including a firefighter!” Gong Yingxian said icily. “Do you know what happens to someone who protects a murderer?”
“I didn’t protect anyone.” Zhou Chuan’s face turned a sickly, twisted shade, making him look even more frail. “They found their own arson exchange partners. What does that have to do with me?”
Ren Yi strode over to Zhou Chuan. “Zhou Chuan, if the Wanyuan case is connected to the person who messaged you, this is your only chance to reduce your sentence. If you don’t tell us, we’ll find out eventually, and then you’ll be useless to anyone.”
Zhou Chuan trembled, covering his face as he let out muffled sobs.
“Speak!” Ren Yi barked.
Zhou Chuan cried, “Just sentence me, I admit it! But if I talk, I’ll be dead.”
Gong Yingxian realized they wouldn’t get anything more today. He snapped his notebook shut with a loud “clap” and said coldly, “Suit yourself.” With that, he stood and walked out of the hospital room. Ren Yi shot a fierce glare at Zhou Chuan before following him out.
Gong Yingxian didn’t stop until he reached the hospital entrance. Once outside, he ripped off his mask and took deep breaths of fresh air.
Ren Yi looked at Gong Yingxian with concern, just about to speak, when Gong raised his hand to stop him and removed both his mask and gloves, tossing them into the trash. “I’m fine. Ever since I was hospitalized, my immune system has been getting stronger.” He glanced at Ren Yi, “I should ‘thank’ you for that.”
Ren Yi caught the hint of reproach in his tone and winked playfully. “You’re welcome.”
Slowly putting on a fresh pair of gloves, Gong Yingxian frowned. “Zhou Chuan might really not know the person who set the car on fire, but he definitely knows the person who gave him the information, or at least has interacted with them online.”
“I didn’t expect that bringing up the arson exchange would lead to such a surprising discovery. Do you think there could be a connection between the Wanyuan Community arson case and the car fire?”
“It’s very likely,” Gong Yingxian reflected on Zhou Chuan’s reactions. “What he said at the end was interesting. The reach of this dark web in our country is deeper than we initially thought. It’s different from what I originally suspected.”
“I didn’t expect it either. I thought that foreign website would mainly have traffic abroad. Zhou Chuan’s so scared of retaliation that he’d rather go to jail than talk, which means there’s someone or some group here in the country that terrifies him. He knows more than we imagined.”
“If we make a bold assumption,” Gong Yingxian pondered aloud, “and the Wanyuan Community arson is connected to the car fire, is it possible that Unit 2209 in Wanyuan and that car were their arson exchange targets?”
Ren Yi’s face darkened at the thought. The mere suggestion sent chills down his spine, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
“If that’s the case, then all the alibis of the Wanyuan Community suspects are useless,” Gong Yingxian continued, pulling out his phone. “Hello, Yan-jie, I’ve made some new discoveries. Can you check something for me…”
As Gong communicated with Qiu Yan about the case, Ren Yi stood by, still stunned by the earlier hypothesis. He hadn’t yet shaken off the unsettling idea.
As a fundamentally good person, he found himself repeatedly shocked by the depths of malice some of his fellow humans could exhibit.
After the call, Gong Yingxian returned to Ren Yi. “You don’t look well.”
Ren Yi sighed. “That man in black who set the car on fire—he could be 2209’s neighbor.”
“Exactly. That would explain why he seemed like a first-timer, why he wasn’t interested in money from livestream donations. I’ve asked Yan-jie to bring in suspects who match the profile for further questioning. If this guy is just an ordinary person with no criminal background, he won’t hold up under pressure.”
“Maybe…” Ren Yi hesitated. “But when that guy was under the threat of getting caught, he lit the car on fire with his own hands, just to create chaos and escape. That kind of cold, bold, and reckless behavior isn’t something just anyone could pull off.”
Gong Yingxian thought for a moment. “You’re right. Technically, he didn’t need to do that. All he did was pour gasoline on the car—an attempt. With a good lawyer, he might not even have to go to prison. But he chose to risk everything and flee, which means he was absolutely terrified of being caught. Whatever would happen if he were caught was worth the risk he took to escape.”
“It seems more likely now that he’s connected to the Wanyuan Community case,” Ren Yi remarked.
“No matter who it is, I will catch them,” Gong Yingxian said, locking eyes with Ren Yi. “You don’t need to be afraid or worry. I’ll drag those scum hiding in the shadows out into the light.”
Ren Yi smiled. “I’m not afraid, and I’m not worried. I believe in you.”
Gong Yingxian felt a sudden stir in his heart. To cover it up, he glanced at his watch. “Let’s go. I’ll head back to the station and drop you off at your unit.”
“OK.”
The two continued discussing the case as they drove, and the more they analyzed it, the more it seemed like the two cases were connected. The police had gathered a lot of important information, but there were still gaps, as if they were missing one crucial thread that would tie all the clues together and reveal the truth.
When they arrived at Ren Yi’s unit, he grabbed Miao Miao’s cage and stepped out of the car, casting a deep look at Gong Yingxian. “See you.”
Gong nodded.
Ren Yi walked a few steps, then turned back.
Gong lowered the car window.
Ren Yi grinned. “Next Saturday afternoon, I’ll be waiting for the grand arrival of Dr. Gong.”
Gong Yingxian smiled slightly.
Humming a little tune, Ren Yi returned to the station.
He put down Miao Miao’s cage and yelled, “I’m back! Why aren’t you guys coming down to give me a hero’s welcome?”
Ding Qing poked his head out from the second-floor railing, joking, “Do you need us to play some music and toss flowers too?”
“Or find you a bride to walk down the path of life,” Gao Ge added, also sticking his head out.
Ren Yi lightly kicked the cage at his feet. “I officially announce that I’ve found someone to take care of for the rest of my life. This is—”
Suddenly, the alarm blared.
The firefighters immediately rushed from all corners of the unit toward the garage, and Ren Yi bolted after them.
The dispatcher handed over the call sheet. “Captain Ren, there’s been an accident involving a chemical transport vehicle on Pobo Road. There’s a risk of leakage.”
“Has Central notified Liu Bing?”
“Yes, he’s on his way, but traffic’s bad, and he might not arrive for another half hour.”
“We’ll go first. Push them to hurry.” Their fire station had a team specially trained for handling hazardous chemicals, but there were limited specialized units available. The nearest one was still nine kilometers away, and Phoenix Unit only had basic equipment for dealing with hazardous chemicals, such as hazmat suits.
As Ren Yi boarded the fire truck, something occurred to him. He quickly pulled out his phone and called Gong Yingxian.
“Hello?”
“Dr. Gong, how far have you gone?”
“Not far. Why?”
“A chemical transport vehicle crashed on Pobo Road. The driver’s injured and unconscious, and the caller couldn’t clearly describe the contents. We’re not sure what we’re dealing with. Can you…?”
“I’ll head over right now.”
“It’s at the intersection of Pobo Road and Nanxiang Road. You’ll see it when you get there.”
“Got it,” Gong Yingxian replied. “Ren Yi, don’t approach before I arrive.”
Ren Yi responded, “Don’t worry, we’re prepared.”
“I’m serious. I have a good understanding of the types of factories operating in the suburbs of Beijing. The most commonly used chemicals in these factories are, without exception, explosives.” Gong’s tone was firm and commanding. “Before I get there, evacuate the area and stay clear. Promise me.”
Ren Yi hesitated for a moment. “Alright.”
