Chapter 50: Private Grudges in the Heart

Captain Cui arrived swiftly; not even an hour had passed after my call when he was already honking outside the shop in his car.

“Jiang Huai!”

He sat in the driver’s seat, the engine still running, and shouted my name loudly.

I hurried out to meet him, grinning as I said, “Officer, you really got here fast.”

“Alright, cut the jokes and get in the car. We’ve received a tip—Yu Nie’s been spotted in this area. We’re going to look for him.”

There was no denying it; Captain Cui had remarkably sharp sources.

I scratched my head, making no move toward the car. “Well, officer, how about you come inside for a bit? I’d like to introduce you to a friend. He might know something you’d be interested in.”

Captain Cui, of course, had no idea whom I was referring to. He regarded me with suspicion, but under my earnest gaze, he reluctantly got out of the car and followed me inside.

The moment we entered, he asked, “What sort of friend of yours would know what happened to Yu Nie?”

“You’ll understand when you meet him,” I replied.

We stopped at the door to my grandfather’s room. Before I could open it, Captain Cui wrinkled his brow, looking at me in confusion. “There’s a strong scent of blood. Who exactly is this friend of yours?”

“Uh…” For a moment, I really didn’t know how to explain. I could only scratch my head and say, “Officer, maybe you should just see for yourself.”

He glanced at me, then pushed the door open. The moment he saw Yu Nie lying unconscious on the bed, fury overtook him. Without warning, he drew his gun and fired at Yu Nie.

“Captain Cui!”

“Bang! Bang!”

I’d considered all sorts of reactions he might have upon seeing Yu Nie, but never did I expect he’d open fire without a word.

After two gunshots, I tackled Captain Cui to the floor.

Scrambling up, I checked on Yu Nie. Fortunately, I’d acted quickly enough—both shots had only grazed his scalp and lodged in the wall.

“Captain Cui!”

When Captain Cui got up and raised his gun at Yu Nie again, I immediately spread my arms and shielded Yu Nie with my body. “He can’t die!”

“Jiang Huai! Move aside! Do you even know what kind of person Yu Nie is? Do you know how many have died by his hands?”

Given another chance, I would never have called Captain Cui over.

But it was too late now; regret was useless.

“Captain Cui!”

With his gun trained on me, I raised my trembling hands. “Don’t get worked up. Please, don’t— I mean no harm!”

“Jiang Huai! Do you realize what you’re doing? You’re harboring a fugitive. If you keep this up, no one will be able to help you!”

“Jiang Huai! Just step aside and I won’t hold you responsible. Move!”

If I stepped aside now, even a fool could guess what would happen.

“Officer, please, calm down. Listen to me for a moment.”

Despite my calm facade, inside I was terrified.

How old am I? I’m only eighteen. When you were eighteen, if someone pointed a gun at you—even if you knew they wouldn’t pull the trigger—could you honestly say you wouldn’t be afraid?

Against a firearm, no matter how skilled I might be, a single hit would mean my end.

So every word I spoke now was measured and careful.

“Officer, in your eyes Yu Nie is a villain. Ten years ago, he committed murder. But isn’t the past already behind us? Hasn’t he returned to society now?”

I took a breath and continued, “Alright, let’s not argue about whether he deserves a second chance. Let’s just talk about this incident. Do you have any evidence that proves Yu Nie is the killer?”

My words made Captain Cui tremble with anger. “Jiang Huai!”

“Captain Cui! I know you’re furious, but I have to say this.” I refused to believe rumors; I trusted only what I saw and felt myself.

Wang Zihao had already told me the details of this case. To be honest, you have no proof that Yu Nie was the one who killed those people. For all we know, someone might be trying to frame him.

What I said wasn’t made up—it was the truth.

Within a mile of the ancient Baolian Temple in the southern part of the city, there’s not a single surveillance camera. The dead officer who’d been tailing, and the three young women inside the temple—so far, all we know is that their deaths are somehow connected to Yu Nie. Just because the method matches doesn’t mean he’s the killer.

After all, methods can be imitated.

I spat to the side. “Captain Cui, you’re a good cop. I don’t want you to make a mistake. If you shoot Yu Nie dead now and then someone else turns up dead, what will you do?”

“Impossible! It’s definitely Yu Nie!”

I shook my head. “Captain Cui, I hope you can calm down. I don’t know why you’re so full of anger the moment you see Yu Nie, but you are a policeman. You have to rely on evidence.”

I paused, then went on, “Yes, I’m young. I’ve only just come of age. There are many things I don’t understand, but I do know this: so far, it’s all just your assumptions. There’s no conclusive proof. You can’t afford to be wrong.”

Captain Cui seemed calmer than before; at least his breathing had steadied.

Seeing this, I continued, “Yu Nie is alive. Whether he’s the killer or not, it won’t hurt your investigation. If he is, you can bring him to justice and give everyone closure. If he’s not, he certainly knows something about what happened. If you kill him, you cut off your only lead. Think about it—is it worth risking your future?”

I stared hard into Captain Cui’s eyes and spoke in a low voice, “Do you have some personal grudge against him?”

He didn’t answer at once, instead fixing his gaze on me for a long, silent moment. Finally, he closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath.

He holstered his gun, walked over, and patted my shoulder. “The officer who was killed while tailing him—he was my apprentice.”

Captain Cui’s gaze grew complicated as he looked at me. “Jiang Huai, for the sake of what you did last time, I’ll trust you this once. But if I find out Yu Nie really is the killer, you won’t escape justice either.”