Drapeau fantôme

Chapitre 34

Luo Fei smiled slightly: "Wouldn't you call that praising someone in a roundabout way?"

Mu Jianyun snorted, feigning displeasure as he frowned. "Don't be too smug. I've done my analysis. Yuan Zhibang was at the scene of the 130 case, giving him excellent opportunities to commit the crime; and his guilt after shooting Wen Hongbing also gave him a motive. Moreover, from a criminal psychology perspective, this robbery can be seen as a prelude to the 'April 18th Massacre.' Yuan Zhibang's path to Eumenides might very well have started with this robbery."

Luo Fei nodded. The other person's analysis perfectly aligned with his own thoughts. While explaining Yuan Zhibang's transformation from an outstanding police academy student into a cold-blooded killer solely through Bai Feifei's death was plausible, it felt incomplete. Because any transformation is a process, Yuan Zhibang's change from angel to devil was far too abrupt. If they followed the line of thought Mu Jianyun had just mentioned, the starting point of the Eumenides series of cases could be traced back significantly, thus providing a preliminary understanding of the complete process of gradual psychological change from a criminal psychology perspective.

However, to fully understand the formation process of Eumenides, two mysteries remain unsolved. One is the truth behind Yuan Zhibang's shooting of Wen Hongbing in the 130 case. Given that the situation at the scene was under control, some unforeseen event must have occurred, leading to the tragic outcome. What exactly was that unforeseen event? And how is it connected to the development of two generations of Eumenides?

Secondly, who was the police officer who hid the crucial clues in the later robbery? Could he also be connected to the Eumenides series of cases?

Seemingly sharing some kind of telepathic connection with Luo Fei, Mu Jianyun's thoughts also drifted to these two crucial points. She even thought of a breakthrough, so she clapped her hands and said, "Hey, actually, it's easy for us to find out who that policeman is; we just need to ask one person."

Luo Fei looked at her, nodded and smiled, and said the person's name: "Huang Jieyuan."

Eighteen years ago, Huang Jieyuan was also a detective involved in the robbery case, and after Ding Ke resigned, he took over as the chief commander of the case. Therefore, he should know the specifics of the case all too well.

Without hesitation, Luo Fei immediately took out his phone and dialed Huang Jieyuan's number.

The call was connected quickly, but it wasn't Huang Jieyuan's voice that came through the receiver.

"Hello." The speaker was respectful and polite, and sounded like a young man.

"Hello." Luo Fei paused for a moment, checked his phone screen to make sure he hadn't dialed the wrong number, and then said to the other end, "I'm looking for Huang Jieyuan."

"I'm sorry. Our General Manager Huang is sleeping."

"Sleeping?" Luo Fei glanced at his watch in surprise. "What time is it? Still sleeping?"

"Yes. Because tonight is 'performance day.' So Mr. Wong will get some sleep first to recharge."

Performance day? Luo Fei was increasingly confused. Too lazy to ask about such irrelevant things, he simply said, "Could you please ask him to answer the phone? I'm from the criminal investigation team."

"I'm sorry. Mr. Huang instructed that he doesn't want to be disturbed when he's resting. If you need anything, you can leave your contact information, and I'll let him know when he wakes up." The young man spoke politely, but he bluntly rejected Luo Fei's request.

Luo Fei grinned helplessly, "Never mind, I'll call again later." He hung up the phone and turned around to see Mu Jianyun looking at him with schadenfreude.

"Hehe, Mr. Huang... what a grand gesture." Luo Fei shook his head, looking both amused and exasperated.

"He's a grown man now, he has no obligation to take orders from you," Mu Jianyun joked. "Captain Luo, you need to adjust your mindset."

"A transfer? Of course not." Luo Fei became serious. "Huang Jieyuan is the provincial capital's criminal police captain after Ding Ke, so he's my senior. I'm just a little curious, why couldn't he do something else? He opened a bar, and I heard it's a complete mess."

Mu Jianyun smiled faintly and said, "Everyone has their own ambitions."

Well, everyone has their own ambitions. Luo Fei had no choice but to accept this viewpoint. Fortunately, this clue wasn't particularly urgent, so it wouldn't hurt to put it aside for now.

"It's getting late, let's find somewhere to get some dinner," Luo Fei suggested. "You must be hungry after running around all day, right?"

"Okay," Mu Jianyun readily agreed. She looked around for a moment, then pointed to the street corner not far away, "There's a Korean restaurant there, let's go get some bibimbap."

Luo Fei nodded and said, "Okay." He wasn't picky about food, and this Korean bibimbap was inexpensive, clean, and quick, which suited his taste perfectly.

6:26 PM. Inside Du Mingqiang's residence.

This is a one-bedroom private apartment. The interior decoration is simple and bright, with minimal furniture, clearly a modern young person's home.

Like other first-tier cities in China, the provincial capital's real estate market has entered a period of rapid development in recent years. From the city center to the suburbs, high-rise buildings have sprung up one after another, stimulating people's desire to buy. As a result, housing prices have skyrocketed at an astonishing rate, making homeownership a pressing issue for urban youth.

As a migrant worker born into poverty, Du Mingqiang could hardly dream of owning a house in this city; he could only afford to rent a small apartment. Even so, he was happier than many young people because at least he didn't have to share an apartment with others, and the apartment was located in a relatively bustling area—two things that made him the envy of his peers.

Besides Du Mingqiang, there was another tall, thin young man in the apartment at that moment—Liu Song, a special police officer who had been ordered to protect Du Mingqiang. However, the two were not in the same room: Du Mingqiang was catching up on sleep in the bedroom, while Liu Song was keeping watch in the living room.

For security reasons, Liu Song should have stayed close to Du Mingqiang. However, the latter strongly objected to anyone entering his bedroom while he slept. Since this operation wasn't mandatory surveillance, Liu Song couldn't insist. He could only check the surroundings inside and outside the bedroom. Besides the door leading to the living room, the only other exit from the bedroom to the outside was the south-facing window. Liu Song felt slightly relieved: the building was on the ninth floor, and there were surveillance cameras outside the window; even Eumenides would have a hard time carrying out the assassination through that window. He could ensure Du Mingqiang's safety as long as he stayed in the living room. Even if there was an emergency in the bedroom, Liu Song, separated by only a wall, could react quickly, and any intruder would need wings to escape from the ninth floor instantly.

However, the mission was indeed rather tedious: the person he was protecting was fast asleep inside, while Liu Song could only sit there like a puppet in the living room. Thinking that the other members of the task force were probably busy fighting on various fronts, he felt increasingly stifled. He wished Eumenides would appear before him immediately so they could settle things quickly and decisively.

Du Mingqiang, however, slept soundly. When he stretched and walked out of the bedroom, it was already dark outside.

"Oh dear, you're sleeping soundly now." He strolled over to Liu Song and said with a grin, "Officer Liu, you've had a tough time, haven't you? Hehe, having someone watch over you even while you sleep, how many people get this kind of treatment?"

Liu Song glanced at him and felt that he had absolutely nothing in common with such a person.

Seeing that the other person remained silent, Du Mingqiang himself felt a little bored. After wandering around the room for a while, he patted his stomach and muttered to himself, "Haven't eaten all day, my stomach's growling."

That was true; Liu Song was also feeling a bit hungry. So he thought for a moment and said, "What would you like to eat? I can have my colleague bring it over."

"No need for that," Du Mingqiang waved his hand. "There's a barbecue stall nearby that grills really good skewers. Let's go, it's on me today, let's have a good meal and drinks."

Liu Song frowned, not responding to the other person's words. Du Mingqiang knew what he was thinking, so he spread his hands and said, "Don't be so tense, okay? If I can't even go out to eat, you might as well lock me up in a cell."

Since the other party had said so, Liu Song felt there was no need to object. In any case, Du Mingqiang was originally the police's bait, and the farther the bait was thrown, the greater the chance of catching a big fish.

So the two tidied their clothes and went out. Not far from the residential area, they saw the food stall Du Mingqiang had mentioned. The stall wasn't large, but it utilized a patch of open space facing the street, setting up several rows of outdoor tables and chairs. When customers sat down, the staff would bring out small charcoal grills and place them in the middle of the tables, both to heat the food and to provide some warmth on the chilly autumn night. Because of this unique setting, coupled with its location at the entrance of the residential area, the stall attracted many diners every day, and over time, it became quite famous in the surrounding area.

As the two approached, the aroma of barbecue wafted towards them. Du Mingqiang, true to his role as a host, enthusiastically introduced the restaurant to Liu Song as they walked: "The most famous thing here is the grilled chicken wings. You absolutely have to try the spiciest kind—it's so fragrant and satisfying! Add a couple of beers, and it's an absolute treat!"

From any perspective, Liu Song had no desire to share a meal with this talkative fellow, so he seized the opportunity to find a reason to refuse: "I'm from the South, I can't eat spicy food. You eat it yourself, I'll just have some fried rice or something."

"Can't handle spicy food? That's a real shame." Du Mingqiang shook his head repeatedly, clearly feeling sorry for the other person. Then, with a hint of pride, he added in his hometown dialect, "You know we Guizhou people can't live without spicy food."

As they were speaking, a waiter came forward: "Are you two? Please have a seat here."

Liu Song waved his hand: "Let's sit separately, and each of us will keep our own accounts."

"Why are we sitting separately?" Du Mingqiang shouted. "You're underestimating me. I already said it's my treat today."

"I have a mission to complete. So firstly, I can't drink; secondly, I must keep my distance from you so I can better observe the surrounding situation," Liu Song said solemnly, leaving no room for negotiation.

Du Mingqiang grinned in disappointment: "Alright then..." He found a relatively clean table nearby and sat down: "So I'll just eat by myself then?"

Liu Song nodded, his eyes scanning the surroundings. There was an empty seat about three tables away from Du Mingqiang; it offered a good view and was relatively secluded in a corner, making it a good spot to monitor the entire situation. So he walked over and sat down facing Du Mingqiang.

Du Mingqiang smiled at Liu Song and said to the waiter waiting nearby, "Give me ten meat skewers, four pairs of chicken wings, extra chili. And two bottles of beer."

The waiter readily agreed, then turned to Liu Song and asked, "Sir, what would you like to order?"

"Give me a serving of fried rice with egg."

"Alright." The waiter took the note and scurried back into the storefront. Inside, a chef was preparing the food ordered by the customers. Before long, the egg fried rice that Liu Song had ordered was served first. He was indeed hungry, so he ate heartily, but his eyes kept wandering around Du Mingqiang.

Du Mingqiang's food and drinks were soon served. He poured himself a beer and picked up a skewer of chicken wings to gnaw on. Perhaps because the food was too spicy, he ate very slowly. Onlookers thought he was waiting for someone.

His long career as a SWAT officer had instilled in Liu Song a habit of eating simple, quick meals. In just a few minutes, he had devoured the fried rice in front of him. Looking at Du Mingqiang's leisurely demeanor not far away, he couldn't help but feel both annoyed and amused. Probably no one around him would suspect that this guy was actually under death threat from a terrorist killer. And if Eumenides were to witness this man's behavior, what would he think?

Now that they had finished eating, Liu Song decided to focus entirely on the surveillance work. Although, according to the police's previous analysis, Eumenides wouldn't act too soon since they were using Du Mingqiang to distract the police, Eumenides' actions were always unpredictable, and Liu Song, having accepted the task, couldn't afford to be careless for a moment.

It was peak dining time, and the food stall was located at a busy intersection with a diverse mix of people. Liu Song's gaze swept around, focusing on Du Mingqiang. After about ten minutes, a situation on the street caught his attention.

A red sedan turned the corner at the intersection, gradually slowing down as it approached the food stalls, and finally came to a complete stop. The driver's side window rolled down halfway, and a man wearing sunglasses leaned out, searching for something in the food stall area. After a moment, he seemed to have noticed something, reached down and took off his sunglasses, his gaze fixed intently on a certain spot.

Liu Song's heart tightened suddenly, because the man's line of sight was directly in Du Mingqiang's direction. He quickly focused his attention, trying to make out the man's face, but the car window was quickly rolled up again. He only managed to vaguely make out that the man was also a young man.

Liu Song sensed something was amiss. The man in the car was clearly looking for someone, and his target was likely Du Mingqiang. But why was he acting so suspiciously? And why, after finding his target, did he neither get out of the car nor drive away?

Just as Liu Song was deep in thought, the back door of the car opened again. Three men filed out. They were all in their early twenties, dressed in bright clothes, with a frivolous demeanor, and adorned with many strange ornaments. The tallest one in the middle had a shiny shaved head, making him quite conspicuous. After getting out of the car, their eyes all turned to where Du Mingqiang was.

Du Mingqiang was busy devouring the second pair of chicken wings in front of him, his attention seemingly completely drawn to the hot and spicy food, oblivious to the attention of the passersby.

The three young men whispered a few words to each other, then dispersed in different directions. Liu Song was increasingly alarmed by this scene, as the three seemed poised to encircle Du Mingqiang!

Sure enough, after the three men dispersed for a while, they simultaneously converged on Du Mingqiang's location. Halfway there, the bald man casually grabbed an empty beer bottle from a table he passed, his eyes fixed on Du Mingqiang, his face filled with murderous intent!

As the three men drew closer, they were only five or six meters away from Du Mingqiang. The latter finally noticed the anomaly, looked up at the bald man approaching him, and paled in horror.

The bald man asked in a menacing tone, "Are you Du Mingqiang?"

"Yes..." Du Mingqiang replied in a flustered manner, while glancing at Liu Song not far away as if pleading for help.

Liu Song's expression was extremely tense. The three men's intention to attack Du Mingqiang was now unmistakable! He quickly pulled a small microphone from under his collar and shouted in a deep voice, "Move!"

At his command, several figures sprang into action. They emerged from inconspicuous corners around Du Mingqiang, pouncing on the three approaching strangers like tigers. Before the three could react, they were all knocked to the ground, and those who pounced showed no mercy, pinning them down and restraining their hands and feet. The bald man, in particular, suffered a more severe blow when the attackers made a sharper movement to snatch the bottle from his hand; he cried out in pain as his grip loosened.

Seeing that the situation was basically under control, Liu Song breathed a slight sigh of relief. Then, without further hesitation, he leaped from his seat and ran straight to the red sedan parked by the roadside. Based on his judgment, the young man wearing sunglasses in the driver's seat was the mastermind behind the attack!

The occupants of the car had clearly sensed the unfavorable situation. The engine roared to life, and the sedan attempted to start and drive away.

Liu Song ran two steps and blocked the car's path. The car, however, didn't stop; instead, it accelerated and rushed towards Liu Song.

Liu Song leaped to the side, the front of the car grazing his body. In that sudden moment of collision, he had already reached for his pistol at his waist. Using the momentum from his jump, he rolled over and assumed a firing stance as he stood up.

The car sped up and was about to enter the main road. After making a slight adjustment, Liu Song pulled the trigger. With a loud "bang," the car's right front tire burst, and the car swayed forward for more than ten meters before finally losing control and crashing onto the curb, forcing it to stop.

Liu Song got up and chased after him. Just then, the front door of the car opened, and the young man in the driver's seat climbed out. He covered his head with his left hand—he had been hit there, and blood was seeping from between his fingers.

"Are you fucking crazy?! You think I won't kill you?!" The young man cursed viciously as he saw Liu Song rushing over, brandishing the gear shift lock in his right hand with a menacing air.

The response he received was a punch from Liu Song. After being struck hard in the chin, he slumped down beside the car, temporarily unable to move.

This series of unexpected events astonished the other onlookers, who quickly gathered around, chattering and speculating. The four young men who had gotten out of the car were completely incapacitated. Two of the men who had subdued them were now guarding Du Mingqiang, separating him from the onlookers. Du Mingqiang, on the other hand, wore an excited expression, his gaze constantly sweeping over the faces of the men who were secretly protecting him.

The Fate of the Death Sentence (18)

7:37 PM, the guesthouse inside the provincial capital's public security bureau.

Since there were no special tasks, after a simple dinner with Mu Jianyun, the two said their goodbyes. Mu Jianyun went home to rest. Luo Fei, on the other hand, had just been transferred to the provincial capital's criminal investigation team as captain and didn't yet have his own residence in the city, so he had to stay temporarily in the unit's guesthouse. There was no need to worry about trivial matters like food, lodging, or hygiene, and it was just a stone's throw from his office, which suited the lifestyle of a single man like Luo Fei perfectly.

However, today's feeling was somewhat different from usual. After calming down, Luo Fei felt a vague sense of loneliness. He couldn't quite pinpoint the cause of this feeling, because many things had indeed touched the depths of his emotions throughout the day.

Whether it was the cold relationship between Ding Ke and his son, Wu Qiong's pure and devoted love for Ding Zhen, or the subtle yet tacit understanding he felt with Mu Jianyun, all of these things stirred Luo Fei's inner world. So when he stood by the window, gazing at the myriad lights of the city in the distance, he began to anticipate the warmth that those lights would bring.

He should have been able to enjoy that warmth too, but everything changed dramatically eighteen years ago.

For years, his memory had been firmly fixed on April 18, 1984. But now, as the mystery of Eumenides's upbringing is gradually unveiled, more memories from the depths of his mind are being awakened.

Yuan Zhibang, too, gazed at the lights of countless homes, yearning for a warm and cozy life, just like himself. At least until April 7th, they had discussed such topics.

April 7th was a special day for Luo Fei, so much so that he could still remember the events of that day eighteen years later:

...

It was a clear night, and the city lights were just coming on.

Inside the male dormitory of the provincial police academy, the wall clock ticked away, just like its owner's lifestyle—orderly, precise, and rhythmic.

A small FM radio sat on the table, from which came the gentle voice of a female announcer: "Hello, it is now 7:00 PM Beijing time. Please adjust your time accordingly."

Luo Fei stepped onto a stool, took the clock off the wall, wound it up fully, and then, when the last high-pitched "tick" sounded, he accurately set the minute hand to the zero position.

"I really like this wall clock," he said with a hint of pride. "It's been almost four years, hasn't it? It's still so accurate; I often don't need to adjust it for days at a time."

"I really can't stand you. You set the time so precisely every day, getting up at six in the morning, having breakfast at six-thirty, lunch at eleven-thirty, dinner at seven-thirty, and going to bed at eleven. Not a second off, are you a living person or a machine?" The speaker was a tall, handsome young man standing at the dormitory window, gazing out. This man was none other than Yuan Zhibang, Luo Fei's roommate for the past four years. His slightly wavy hair reached his eyebrows, making him look very fashionable and sunny in those days.

Luo Fei smiled and stepped off the stool. He knew that his meticulous lifestyle had become a topic of conversation among many of his classmates. Some even used his meal times to adjust their watches.

"Come here, look over there." Yuan Zhibang beckoned to him, pointing into the distance and asking, "What do you feel?"

Luo Fei approached his companions, only to see that in the dim night sky, countless lights twinkled like jewels inlaid on black satin.

"It's beautiful," Luo Fei exclaimed.