Kiyomi Tsuki und sein Fuchs

Kapitel 35

"It is indeed beautiful." Yuan Zhibang crossed his arms, squinted his eyes, and his mood seemed much more complicated than Luo Fei's.

Luo Fei had already noticed that Yuan Zhibang's mood had been off these past few days, but that was understandable. Yuan Zhibang's ex-girlfriend, Bai Feifei, had just committed suicide, and he had become the focus of public attention for his actions of starting a relationship and then abandoning the woman. No one would feel comfortable in that situation.

From many perspectives, Luo Fei greatly admired Yuan Zhibang, except for his inability to agree with the latter's attitude towards relationships. Deep down, Luo Fei also felt that Yuan Zhibang bore some responsibility for Bai Feifei's death, but things had already come to this point, and he really didn't need to voice those feelings. The other man was a sensible person; he was capable of understanding and growing through certain experiences on his own.

"You know what?" Yuan Zhibang continued, "Every light in this city represents a family. Inside are elderly people, husbands, wives, and children. They live together, their lives fulfilling yet fragile."

"Vulnerable?" Luo Fei didn't quite understand why the second adjective appeared here.

"Because there are so many things that can hurt them," Yuan Zhibang sighed with deep emotion. "The more beautiful something is, the easier it is to be harmed, and they have no ability to protect themselves."

Luo Fei chuckled, "Yes. But that's precisely the meaning of our existence. Because of their vulnerability, they need us; our responsibility is to protect those beautiful things from harm."

Luo Fei's tone was confident and proud. But Yuan Zhibang suddenly turned to look at him and asked calmly, "What if we can't protect them?"

"Can't you protect them?" Luo Fei was taken aback, not understanding why the other person would ask such a question. "We are police officers. Protecting the innocent and fighting crime are powers granted to us by law."

"But the law cannot punish all evils. Sometimes, it can even become an accomplice to evil." Yuan Zhibang said meaningfully, as if he had a lot to say but was not comfortable saying it outright.

"How is that possible?" Luo Fei shook his head in disbelief, glancing at the wall clock. He lacked the patience to continue the conversation due to other commitments.

Yuan Zhibang saw through Luo Fei's mindset. After thinking for a moment, he decided to simplify the topic.

"If—and I mean if—" he asked half-jokingly, "some crimes are beyond the jurisdiction of the law, would you go against the principles of the law to punish them? Like that Eumenides case that's been making headlines at school these days, what do you think of his behavior?"

This question... Luo Fei chuckled inwardly: If Yuan Zhibang knew that Eumenides was the work of Meng Yun and himself, what a surprised expression he would have.

Thinking that his actions had kept a master like Yuan Zhibang in the dark, Luo Fei couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.

However, Eumenides was merely a concept in Meng Yun's novel. Even though he and Meng Yun competed against each other out of spite, it was only a minor and harmless punishment for some immoral behavior in school, and did not cross the line of the law.

Therefore, when answering this question, Luo Fei solemnly stated his principle: "I don't think I will break the law, even if it has imperfections. Because society needs an unbreakable system at all times; without a system, things will only become more and more chaotic. And we police officers are the protectors of that system."

Yuan Zhibang looked at Luo Fei and smiled, seemingly satisfied and pleased with the reply: "I knew you were this kind of person, a meticulous and loyal guardian. You are a gentleman, a gentleman who adheres to all rules, just like your style of playing football."

Luo Fei smiled too. He and Yuan Zhibang both loved playing football and were key players on the school's football team. However, their playing styles were completely different. Luo Fei played extremely cleanly, almost never committing any intentional fouls; while Yuan Zhibang was very slippery, and would try anything that would benefit the team's victory, whether within or outside the rules, such as tactical fouls, deliberately delaying the game, or even verbally provoking opposing players on the field.

"So you don't like my playing style," Luo Fei joked. "No wonder you always choose to play against me during team training sessions."

Yuan Zhibang shook his head: "Our playing styles don't match, that's only one reason. There's another, more important reason why I don't like being on the same side as you."

"Oh?" Luo Fei asked with interest, "What is it?"

"Because I prefer to be your opponent. Among all the boys who play soccer in the whole school, only you are qualified to be my opponent. If we're still on the same side, what's the point of playing soccer?"

As Yuan Zhibang said this, he looked intently at Luo Fei, who chuckled again: "What a strange reason. If you think I play well, wouldn't it be better if we became teammates?"

Yuan Zhibang seemed completely oblivious to what Luo Fei was saying, lost in his own thoughts. Then he emphasized again, "A great match needs a strong opponent."

Luo Fei showed a somewhat helpless expression, and he turned to look at the clock on the wall again.

Yuan Zhibang asked, "Is there something you need?"

"Today is Meng Yun's birthday. We agreed to meet at 7:30," Luo Fei said with a smile.

"Love..." Yuan Zhibang sighed softly, "Love has robbed you of your ability to think; no wonder you can't understand what I'm saying."

Luo Fei shrugged dismissively: "If that's the case—we'll talk about it when I get back."

Yuan Zhibang chuckled, looking rather bored. Then he suddenly asked Luo Fei, "Does Meng Yun still have a lot of complaints about me?"

Luo Fei was taken aback by the question, and awkwardly shook his head, saying, "No, she wouldn't..."

Seeing the other person's embarrassed expression, Yuan Zhibang couldn't help but laugh: "You've never learned how to lie to your friends."

Luo Fei had no choice but to give up resisting. He said helplessly, "You know... Meng Yun and Bai Feifei are very close. They used to be key members of the school's art troupe."

"She thinks I killed Bai Feifei?"

Luo Fei did not answer, which was clearly an admission of agreement.

Yuan Zhibang showed no remorse; he even joked, "You see, if this is considered a crime I committed, the law can't punish me. Heh, will that Eumenides who's active on campus come after me?"

Luo Fei remained silent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He found the other party's unrestrained attitude somewhat difficult to accept, and he didn't know how to continue the conversation. Since it was nearly 7:30, he decided to take the opportunity to slip away.

"I have to go. Meng Yun should be waiting for me downstairs."

"I definitely can't keep you here, right? Because you're never late—" Yuan Zhibang shrugged regretfully, "Actually, I did something really interesting today, and I wanted to tell you about it."

The "interesting" thing Yuan Zhibang mentioned must really be interesting. However, Luo Fei really didn't have time, so he could only suppress his curiosity for the time being: "I don't have time to listen now... I'll listen when I get back tonight."

"You won't be able to wait any longer. If you want to know the truth, you'll have to break your own rules and delay for a few minutes," Yuan Zhibang said solemnly, a serious expression rarely seen on his face.

But Luo Fei didn't pay much attention to that at the time. Perhaps, as the other person said, it was because love had robbed him of his ability to think. He rejected the other person's suggestion almost without considering it.

"I won't be late, you know my habits." He turned and walked towards the door as he spoke. "--I have to go."

Yuan Zhibang smiled, his tense expression relaxing, looking both disappointed and somewhat relieved. Then, looking at Luo Fei's retreating figure, he said, "I'm the complete opposite of you. I hate all kinds of rules and constraints. Do you know how wonderful it feels to be unrestrained and act freely?"

Perhaps Luo Fei had already walked away and didn't hear it, or perhaps he heard it but was too preoccupied to pay attention. In any case, Luo Fei gave no response to Yuan Zhibang's last words. And from that moment on, the two were destined to walk down two completely different paths.

They were originally comrades-in-arms in the same camp, but they eventually became lifelong rivals.

...

Eighteen years later, Luo Fei finally understood what Yuan Zhibang meant by "interesting things" that day.

On April 7, 1984, Chen Tianqiao was kidnapped. In retrospect, that may have been Eumenides' first act that crossed legal boundaries. It was also on that day that Eumenides first experienced the wonderful feeling of "unrestrained and free action".

Luo Fei couldn't help but wonder, if he had stayed a few more minutes that day and listened to Yuan Zhibang finish telling that "interesting story," how would things have turned out?

But he couldn't come up with an answer; he even knew that such an assumption was meaningless.

Because he cannot stay, just as Yuan Zhibang cannot be bound by the rules, just as Meng Yun cannot admit defeat to her opponent. These are all predetermined things, and even if there are a thousand or more opportunities to choose, the outcome is hard to change.

Analyzing the beginning of the story now won't change anything; Luo Fei just hopes the story can reach its conclusion as soon as possible.

The phone rang suddenly, interrupting Luo Fei's wandering thoughts, and his attention returned to reality. When he saw that the caller ID on the screen was Liu Song, he immediately perked up and answered the phone with utmost focus.

"Hello, this is Luo Fei."

"Captain Luo!" Liu Song's voice sounded excited and urgent. "Four unidentified men attacked Du Mingqiang just now, but they've all been apprehended and the target is safe. Please advise!"

"Stand guard! I'll call for reinforcements immediately!" As he gave the order, Luo Fei turned around and rushed towards the door.

A little over ten minutes later, Luo Fei arrived at the scene with the criminal investigation team. Prior to this, reinforcements from nearby police stations had also been dispatched under the unified command of the police command center. The police at the scene were on high alert, surrounding Du Mingqiang tightly. The four men were detained in a police car and cut off from all contact with the outside world.

Luo Fei left several technicians to investigate the scene, while he led a team to escort Du Mingqiang and the four men back to the criminal investigation team. The interrogation then proceeded swiftly.

Due to the nature of their work, Liu Song did not participate in the interrogation. After relaying the details of the incident to Luo Fei, he waited in the break room. Besides Du Mingqiang, he was accompanied by five or six men in plainclothes. They were the ones who had subdued the three young men who had gotten out of the car and attacked Du Mingqiang.

"I never expected so many people to be lying in ambush around me!" Du Mingqiang seemed still in a state of excitement. "Officer Liu, I thought it was just you."

"Dealing with Eumenides is difficult for one person. And now that I'm in the open, it'll be easy for him to avoid me. The people who are truly protecting you are them—" Liu Song said, pointing to the men, "These are elite members of the SWAT team. For the next month, they will be hidden around you at all times."

"It's amazing! I really didn't see it at all!" Du Mingqiang exclaimed repeatedly, his gaze darting back and forth between the special police officers, as if he couldn't take it all in. Liu Song understood his feelings, because these special police officers were all carefully selected, each with their own distinctive appearance and attire. Some looked like migrant workers, some like bosses, some like white-collar workers... but none of them looked like police officers.

Seeing Du Mingqiang's exaggerated reaction, Liu Song coldly replied, "If even you can see it, how could it have escaped Eumenides' eyes?"

"That's right, that's right, this is truly a brilliant piece of writing. Do you know, just based on what happened today, it's enough for me to write a wonderful report. What else will happen in the future? I'm really looking forward to it!" Speaking of his pride, Du Mingqiang seemed a little thirsty. He didn't stand on ceremony, took a disposable cup, filled it with water from the water dispenser in the corner, and drank it in big gulps.

Full of anticipation? Liu Song stared at Du Mingqiang, unable to comprehend his words. Logically, what this guy should be most hoping for right now is for the police to quickly find a breakthrough with the four attackers, thereby capturing Eumenides and eliminating the threat to his life. What else could he be hoping for?

However, Liu Song had no interest in arguing with this clueless fellow. He was simply waiting anxiously for the news Luo Fei would bring from the interrogation room.

More than two hours later, the wait finally came to an end: Luo Fei appeared at the door of the lounge.

"How is it?" Liu Song quickly stepped forward to ask.

Luo Fei winked at Liu Song, who understood and followed Luo Fei out. The two walked for more than twenty meters before Luo Fei stopped at the corner of the stairwell.

"What's going on?" Liu Song couldn't help but ask again.

Luo Fei replied somewhat helplessly, "We've been tricked." He had called Liu Song aside to discuss this matter because he was concerned that announcing it in front of so many people would be quite awkward.

"We've been tricked?" Liu Song frowned slightly. In fact, because the operation had gone so smoothly, he hadn't really expected to catch Eumenides red-handed from these four guys. However, he didn't understand what "being tricked" meant, so he asked again, "Was this Eumenides' scheme? Were those guys just scapegoats who didn't know the truth?"

"It has nothing to do with Eumenides; we were tricked by Du Mingqiang."

"What?" Liu Song could hardly believe his ears. This answer was something he had never expected. He could only stare blankly, wide-eyed. "...What on earth is going on?"

"We've interrogated those four young men in isolation, and the situation is basically clear now." Luo Fei seemed relatively calm as he methodically described the findings of the interrogation. "The mastermind behind this attack is the young man in sunglasses you knocked down. His name is Chang Kai, and he's twenty-one years old. About six months ago, he drove a Mitsubishi sports car and ran over and killed a graduate from a prestigious university on a main road in the city. Have you heard about that?"

Liu Song nodded and said, "I've heard of it."

"Hmm. You should know more about it than I do. Apparently, this matter has caused quite a stir locally. I was in Longzhou at the time, so I didn't know much about it."

Indeed, this incident was common knowledge in the provincial capital. The young man, Chang Kai, was an avid racer. Six months ago, while racing with friends on a main road in the city in his Mitsubishi sports car, he struck and killed a young man crossing a zebra crossing. Because of the horrific scene and numerous witnesses, the incident quickly spread, sparking widespread condemnation and debate. Later, it was said that the perpetrator paid nearly a million yuan in compensation and was prosecuted for vehicular manslaughter. As time passed, the incident gradually faded from public memory.

"How did this guy get involved in Du Mingqiang and Eumenides's affair?" Liu Song was very puzzled by this.

"Du Mingqiang wrote several online reports about this incident. Not only were his words sharp, but he also published Chang Kai's photo and some of his private information, which greatly affected Chang Kai's life, causing him to harbor resentment towards Du Mingqiang. After Chang Kai was sentenced for the traffic accident, he was quickly granted parole due to his family's wealth and connections. Du Mingqiang also exposed this online, sparking a fierce attack on Chang Kai by netizens. This further fueled Chang Kai's hatred for Du Mingqiang."

So that's how it is. Liu Song could imagine the kind of attitude Du Mingqiang would use to write those reports—it would definitely be exaggerated and highly inflammatory. Chang Kai's actions were certainly despicable, but for Du Mingqiang to attack and condemn him only gave people the absurd feeling of "dogs fighting, a mouthful of fur."

"Is this why Chang Kai led his men to attack Du Mingqiang?"

"That's the main reason. Of course, it would take some kind of catalyst to escalate the situation to the point of physical violence."

"What was the trigger?"

"A few days ago, Du Mingqiang contacted Chang Kai through an online chat tool and proposed an online interview. Chang Kai was furious and had nowhere to vent his anger, so the two had a fierce online conflict, hurling insults at each other and even suggesting a 'one-on-one fight' in the real world."

"This Du Mingqiang really doesn't know his own limitations," Liu Song sighed, grinning. "He even dared to conduct an exclusive interview with the person involved directly. This is practically 'asking a tiger for its skin.' For a lone, out-of-towner like him to go head-to-head with a local tycoon like Chang Kai, isn't he just asking for trouble?"

Luo Fei chuckled dryly, "He's much smarter than you think. Actually, he was just flirting with Chang Kai online, without leaving any information about himself in real life—so Chang Kai couldn't find a way to retaliate. He, on the other hand, embellished their chat history, posted it online, and it attracted a lot of clicks, making Chang Kai the target of netizens' anger once again."

"Is that what happened?" Liu Song analyzed, reflecting on the situation. "Du Mingqiang deliberately provoked Chang Kai, right? That way, he could lure the other party into making extreme remarks and further incite netizens' anger. This guy is really too cunning. Intellectually speaking, Chang Kai is no match for him at all. But since he didn't leave any real information, how did Chang Kai and his group manage to come knocking on our door just now?"

Luo Fei looked at Liu Song with a wry smile, appearing somewhat helpless.

Liu Song blinked, then suddenly realized: "This...this was also deliberately designed by Du Mingqiang?"

Luo Fei didn't jump to conclusions; he continued to recount the information he had gathered during the interrogation: "According to Chang Kai's confession, around 4 PM this afternoon, Du Mingqiang contacted him again via the internet. Their verbal altercation escalated further. This time, however, Du Mingqiang didn't hide; he proactively turned on his video, allowing Chang Kai to clearly see his face. He then provoked Chang Kai, saying he would be at the food stall near the entrance of the Sunshine Community at 7 PM tonight, drinking and eating chicken wings. He added, 'If you're not happy about it, then come at me.'"

Liu Song's face turned extremely grim. The situation was already quite clear: Du Mingqiang had a grudge against Chang Kai over his reporting, and his power was insufficient to confront Chang Kai directly, so he had previously only been able to retaliate through the virtual power of the internet. But today, because Eumenides issued a "death sentence," the police dispatched elite forces to provide Du Mingqiang with comprehensive protection. This gave Du Mingqiang the opportunity to further retaliate against Chang Kai. He deliberately revealed his whereabouts, so Chang Kai brought his men, intending to beat him up. However, in front of the elite special police, they had no chance whatsoever and could only suffer physical and humiliating pain.

Only then did Liu Song understand the true meaning of Luo Fei's words, "we've been tricked." Yes, they had all been tricked by Du Mingqiang, including not only Chang Kai and his group, but also the SWAT team led by himself. That afternoon, while Liu Song was diligently guarding the living room, Du Mingqiang wasn't sleeping. He was in his bedroom, online, directing a elaborate scheme of "using someone else to do his dirty work." Ultimately, the play unfolded as planned, with the SWAT team becoming Du Mingqiang's henchmen and accomplices.

Liu Song grew increasingly angry. After holding it in for a long time, he finally asked Luo Fei resentfully, "What should we do now?"

"Those guys, just detain them for a few days for disturbing the peace. As for Du Mingqiang—" Luo Fei considered for a moment, then said, "I've handed him over to you. Here, you can do whatever you want with him. But once he leaves the criminal investigation team, your primary task remains ensuring his safety."

"I understand!" Liu Song wanted exactly those four words: "handle it however you like." He then turned and walked towards the lounge. Luo Fei shook his head and left in the opposite direction.

Inside the break room, Du Mingqiang was sitting with his legs crossed, drinking water, surrounded by plainclothes special police officers who seemed to be the center of attention. Liu Song came running over, and seeing this scene, he was even more furious. He growled in a low voice, "Get out of my way!"

The SWAT officers looked at Liu Song, and although they didn't understand what was going on, they obeyed and stepped aside. Only Du Mingqiang and Liu Song remained facing each other. Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Du Mingqiang put down his water glass, stood up, and said, "What's wrong, Officer Liu?"