Chapter Sixteen: Guilt Deserved

  At 10 o'clock in the evening, a gunshot suddenly rang out outside the ancient tomb. I dragged Wu Mingkai, whose nose was blue and swollen, as well as Liu Yaxin, who was handcuffed to him, back onto the Beast's chariot amidst the chaos!

  I successfully returned to the car and first added a few more handcuffs to them, locking the two into the shape of two "zongzi" (glutinous rice dumplings).

  Make sure the backyard won't catch fire, I'll drive around the police car and open fire with the heavy machine gun to provide cover - boom boom boom boom boom~~~~

  As I fired this round of heavy artillery, the resistance in the woods quickly weakened, and then the people from the Heavy Case Unit started making a loud ruckus:

  "Are all six of you caught?"

  "No, two less, and there are still two on the iron handcart!"

  "My god, those two are the most annoying, hurry up and get them back..."

  Roaring~~~~~~~A fierce beast is galloping on the highway, exceeding 120 miles per hour, I must have been speeding.

  "Hahaha~" I drove while laughing: "A group of young birds, wanting to play with me Ren Chuanjie, but you don't even have the 'door' to enter, let alone catch the cicada, brother will let you know what it means to lift a rock and hit your own foot, wow hahaha~~~"

  At this time, Wu Mingkai was completely devoid of arrogance and instead filled with a pleading tone: "Master, I have a lot of money, come with me, let's go to Vietnam, I've hidden a lot of money there, enough for us to enjoy life together."

  "Oh ~ I finally encountered bribery, and I'm quite interested in teasing: "But I don't lack money, and I have a 'girl' who loves me, why should I go with you?"

  Wu Mingkai saw an opportunity and hastily said: "You come with me to Vietnam, I'm familiar with that place. As long as we reach the border, we can definitely escape. Once we're there, each of us will have a big villa, I'll buy you twenty beautiful women, no thirty, fifty, however many you want, you can play and eat as you please, and we can enjoy life to the fullest!"

  I chimed in and said with a tinge of embarrassment: "Come on, I don't have the six-pack abs like you do, can't handle so much 'female' trouble."

  "Ah, ah~" Liu Yaxin hastily said: "Police officer, don't be deceived. He cheated me before, saying he wanted me to go abroad with him and find a beautiful place to live out the rest of my life, but it was all lies."

  "Of course, he's a very innocent guy."

  As soon as I finished speaking, Liu Yaxin and Wu Mingkai glared at me together, as if to say, "You took advantage of the two families' internal conflict to escape, how deep is your scheme, how sinister are your means, and yet you still have the nerve to call yourself a pure person?"

  No matter what you think, I drove quickly, four hours or more, and was the first to rush back to the Serious Crimes Unit's camp.

  After the car entered the yard, I picked up the loudspeaker on the car and shouted loudly: "Report, Ren Chuanjie of the Fourth Major Crimes Unit, at 1:25 on the 17th - successfully cracked the case!"

  "What's going on? Is there an enemy attack?"

  "This shouldn't have happened, what's going on, what's the big deal?"

  "Is someone talking nonsense in their dreams? I've been so stressed out lately, it's exhausting..."

  They came out of the tent in groups of three or five, and in an instant, more than a dozen large lanterns were lit up in the courtyard, illuminating it brightly.

  Just as I was surrounded by everyone, Zhao Yong, Luo Sansi and Cheng Long appeared in their pajamas, and even the old man with a missing tooth showed up!

  "Chuan Jie, what's with the commotion in the middle of the night? I've been busy for over a dozen days and just fell asleep for two hours." Zhao Yong was somewhat perplexed and worried that I would get into trouble.

  "Brother Yong!" Seeing one of our own, I was overjoyed at the time: "I cracked the case and caught the criminal, but now someone wants to steal the credit from our team!"

  "He's showing off, he's bragging!" Zhao Yong's hands were stuffed into his pockets, which was really detrimental to the overall appearance of this set of pajamas and slippers.

  "What's going on?" Lin Tianxiang and Wang Yezhong walked out, yawning: "Little Tiger, you're not going to make another achievement and get into trouble again, are you?"

  Zhao Yong's eyes hinted: "Chuan Jie, if you find any clues, speak up quickly, don't let me down!"

  "No way." I opened the rear door and pulled out Liu Yaxin and Wu Mingkai, who were as big as two dumplings.

  At this moment, I spoke rapidly and continuously, recounting the case from start to finish.

  "The case of Chuanbei originated from the market downturn, and the continuous emergence of financial crises. A group of corrupt officials refused to back down. At this time, the first one to be 'forced' to death was Bank President Liu Haibin. He was born in Fenglong Village, where there is an ancient tomb legend known as the Eighteen Layers of Hell. In his youth, he had entered it to study. Later, before he was 'forced' to death, he took the six-layered copper pillar hell, nine-layered oil pot hell, sixteen-layered volcanic hell, seventeen-layered stone mill hell, and eighteen-layered knife saw hell ancient torture instruments as the background of the legend, and sparked a revenge storm in the form of suicide!"

  Luo Sansi's face was dull: "Chuan Jie, what are you talking about in the middle of the night? Are you sleep-talking?"

  "No, let him continue!" Lin Ju's expression remained calm, for he knew more than the few who had gone out on the mission.

  I continued: "Liu Haibin's 'private' misappropriation of public funds, deceiving his superiors and subordinates, led to his death in the form of an eighteen-story knife saw hell, stirring up a storm and attracting countless attention. At this time, the backstage big tiger Yun Shaojie remained as stable as Mount Tai, but Liu Haibin had already set up a death pusher before he died, that is, his 'daughter' Liu Yaxin. Liu Yaxin has been by Shen Chi's side for two years and has long discovered the fact that Shen Chi and Yun Shaojie are having an affair. She seduced Yun Shaojie's bodyguard Wu Mingkai and successfully found a partner in crime who responded from within and outside!"

  Wang Ye furrowed his brow and said: "Those two small fish, how did they manage to pull off such a big case?"

  "Liu Yaxin, after her father Liu Haibin's death, lured Wu Mingkai into being a killer and exposed her own 'illicit' relationship with boss Shen Chiming. Yun Shaoye was furious when she found out and ordered Wu Mingkai to work at Shen Chiming's company to monitor him. The two of them naturally colluded and once again exposed Shen Chiming's 'illicit' relationship with his secretary, as well as the betrayal behind the stormy event. This made Yun Shaoye completely lose her patience and she issued a series of orders to ban them! My earth-shattering detective theory had unknowingly dispelled everyone's drowsiness."

  Wang Ye Zhong looked at the two people on the ground in surprise: "Are you two the ones who killed the provincial party secretary? How did they do it?"

  I took a deep breath and said, "Liu Yaxin was seeking revenge, Wu Mingkai was after money and Liu Yaxin's body. They didn't have the chance to kill Yun Shaojie, but they could hide sulfur balls in the copper torture devices on the sixth level of hell. These sulfur balls only need a single drop of water or a single tear to land on them, and it would be enough to start a huge fire that could burn someone to death!"

  "That's right, that's it!" Several people from the coroner's office also exclaimed loudly: "At the scene, we smelled the acidic smell of sulfur. This is a different place from the two copper pillar murder cases. It must be that Yun Shaojie was mourning her deceased loved one and cried at the same time, and also burned herself to death!"

  "That's what they deserved!" Liu Yaxin used all her strength to shout hysterically: "If it wasn't for their insatiable greed, untrustworthiness and refusal to repay debts, how would my dad have been 'forced' to death? Do you know the pain he endured as he watched his own life slip away?"

  "Haha! Come on, lock these two up!" Lin Tianxiang laughed cruelly: "Ren Chuanjie, you little rascal, well done! When we get back, I'll give you a first-class merit and the fourth squad will get a second-class merit!"

  "Wah wah wah~~~ I'm so envious, this kid is too awesome! Yeah, young and promising, solved a big case, amazing......"

  "What are you envious of!" After Lin Ju walked away, Wang Ye Zhong opened his throat and shouted: "When you were sleeping in your quilt, thinking it was time to get off work, others were fighting all night, making a concerted effort to crack the case. That's their own hard work, learn from them!"

  Some people envy, some people praise, but these glories, I don't care about them at all.

  Now, I came alone to the entrance of the Criminal Investigation Team's camp, wearing a faint and elegant smile, quietly waiting.

  "Despicable!" Lin Ruoyin said, running over with Jiang Yi: "I thought you were sensible and would let us take the credit, but it turns out you want to 'privately' swallow the credit for yourself!"

  My expression didn't change: "There's a Mo Soul Beast outside the 18th layer of the ancient tomb, you'll be in danger if you go, I'm a good person."

  Jiang Yu smiled wryly: "Who says they're good people? Ah ~ what's that over there?"

  Still need to look? A group of cars rushed back from Fenglong Array, and in order to speed up the chase after me, two cars even emitted a burning smell.

  The captain of Team Qi, Yang Liang, was furious and defeated, while the captain of Team Lu, Zhang Changkong, scolded and jumped in anger. Seeing me smile too complacently, he even wanted to come over and beat me up!

  Zhao Yong exchanged a few blows with Lu Changkong on the spot and even threw slippers at people. He, who had just made achievements, was immediately given a verbal warning and punished, offsetting his achievements, and was not commended. This also continued his unchanged legend of being punished as soon as he achieved something.

  And then I exchanged a victorious glance with Lin Zhen, and neither of us said anything.

  In the following days, we received a lot of help from the police and managed to recover six-tenths of the stolen money. A total of 635 corrupt officials were arrested, punished and put in prison, so they no longer interfered with our high-level detective work.

  After being busy for three or four months, I returned to our provincial city and back to the office of the fourth major case group of the Provincial Hall. Looking at the collective second-class merit flag and my first-class merit, I felt really "cool" in my heart.

  However, after a week of rest at home, I was yawning and feeling a bit drowsy.

  "Haha ~ what a wonderful thing!" Luo San Si rushed in from outside: "Guess, guess what wonderful thing has happened to us again?"

  Zhao Yong put down his work and was somewhat puzzled: "What's going on? Has the leader withdrawn my punishment?"

  "Or has he gotten a raise?" Cheng Long chimed in.

  "Not at all!" Luo Sansi chuckled and said, "The Central Bureau leaders have spoken, with heavy rewards. Director Lin thought about it and decided to give our four teams two sets of housing quotas."

  "The house..." At this point, everyone's eyes lit up with joy, but immediately afterwards, they quickly became serious. With only two sets and six people, how could they be divided?

  Everyone saw a strange expression, and Luo Sansi smiled and said: "I 'mixed' into the house six years ago, so this time it's none of my business, who wants it?"

  Zhao Yong slapped the table and said loudly: "It's settled then, it will be given to Cheng Long and Chuan Jie."

  "This thing is probably not up to you." Luo San's old face wrinkled with a smile: "Lin Bureau personally signed, the house was divided between Zhao Yong and Cheng Long."

  "What? And me!" Cheng Long jumped up in surprise: "I'm a demobilized soldier, I don't have any qualifications or achievements, how can the organization give me a house?"

  Bang! Zhao Yong slammed the table and shouted: "Xiaolong, since the leader gave it to you, then it's yours. But why isn't there one for Chuanjie? I'll go find the leader right now and give my house to Chuanjie. After all, he made the greatest contribution this time!"

  Luosansi grabbed him and smiled bitterly: "Don't go, the house thing is what Chuanjie applied for with Linju, he said to put all his merits on your two names, hoping to get you two suites of houses for marriage."

  "Chuan Jie, Chuan Jie......"

  Zhao Yong is already around thirty years old, his salary isn't low either, yet he still doesn't have a house? I didn't know that: "Uh~~~~ Don't look at me like that, everyone, my little heart can't take it!"

  "You little scamp." Zhao Yong looked embarrassed: "I, Zhao Yong, have never owed anyone a favor before. No way, this house must be given to you."

  I let out a wry laugh: "Brother Yong, my girlfriend isn't even eighteen yet. The national law stipulates that women can get married at twenty, so what's the use of giving me this house for now?"

  "Chuan Jie, my good brother." Cheng Long was so moved that he almost cried!

  Lin Ruo Yin said with a sly smile: "Alright, don't hug him to death, can't you see this kid's eyes are dim and his whole body is weak? He must have done something wrong with that underage 'girlfriend' of his."

  "Alas, Chuan Jie, you must take care of your body." Jiang Yi helplessly advised.

  "I'm strong and fierce, not like what you guys said. I'm just exercising to be healthy. I work out." Working out is true, but living with my girlfriend Xiao Meng also isn't easy, these two things together are exhausting!

  "Haha!" Lao Luo chimed in: "Less nonsense, Zhonglun arranged for lunch, Old Zhao arranged for dinner, everyone had two good meals, let's go to the restaurant!"

  "Great great great great~~~~"

  At the dinner table, our relationship deepened further. I learned that Zhao Yong is a generous person, with an elderly father and mother at home, as well as younger siblings who are still in school. Although he earns over 20,000 yuan per month, he often lives from hand to mouth despite his lavish spending habits.

  Cheng Long doesn't need to be mentioned, the richest one here is Lao Luo. He has a car, a house, and savings of 200,000 to 300,000 yuan. So when it comes to traveling on business, he's the one who foots the bill. As a seasoned and worldly person, he often carries a stack of receipts to settle accounts with his leaders.

  The house matter has been settled, which is a key event for Zhao Yong and Cheng Long's upcoming marriage. This personal relationship, as well as the old leader's way of handling things, have brought us closer together.

  I introduced Wang Cheng to help them with the renovation, which was done well and saved a lot of money. Let's just say that knowing someone in the renovation business is quite impressive.

  Just as everyone was happily designing houses for Zhao Yong and Cheng Long, a task came crashing down.

  This time, it's not a mission to crack the case, but to go abroad and retrieve a secret national treasure. What surprised me was that our team leader turned out to be... Wu Mingkai!