Chapter 79: The Web of Deceit

Su Yao listened intently to Lin Qing’s words. When she noticed a blush begin to creep up his ears, she understood his shyness and found him too endearing to tease further.

Shifting her focus, she adopted a more serious demeanor.

“Let’s set aside how we’ll catch him for now. First, tell me what you’re curious about. Perhaps I can offer an explanation.”

Lin Qing paused, startled by her suggestion, but then a realization of Su Yao’s background quickly eased his mind.

While Liu Hong commanded extensive connections, his influence paled in comparison to the immense power wielded by a financial conglomerate.

For Su Yao to know Wang Fanran’s whereabouts was, therefore, not at all surprising.

It was, in fact, quite simple.

“Why would Wang Fanran steal dogs? And specifically, from my neighborhood?”

Lin Qing voiced his suspicions without hesitation, directly asking the question that weighed on his mind.

Had he not developed an enmity with Wang Fanran, Lin Qing would not have cared so much about his former deskmate, letting him do whatever he pleased without a second thought.

Unfortunately, Lin Qing knew Wang Fanran to be petty and vengeful, certain he would seek retaliation.

His sudden appearance in Lin Qing’s neighborhood felt like a deliberate declaration of his presence.

As if to ensure Lin Qing wouldn’t forget him.

“The dog thefts are connected to Chen Sen. As for why he’d come to your neighborhood, he likely hasn’t forgotten you, his former deskmate.

“Our investigation revealed that Wang Fanran has been closely monitoring your activities. To avoid exposure, he cleverly had others do the surveillance for him.”

Su Yao answered Lin Qing’s inquiry without the slightest pause.

Before he even asked, she had already anticipated precisely what Lin Qing would want to know.

Her response was remarkably fluid, leaving Lin Qing somewhat astonished that it was a coordinated group effort.

Yet, he recalled Liu Hong speaking of Chen Sen as someone with significant clout.

Now, this same individual was entangled with dog thieves.

All bark and no bite.

Just thinking about it hinted at a considerable hidden agenda.

“Chen Sen is indeed peculiar. Despite extensive investigations, he only appears to be unemployed and at home, with no criminal record.

“Yet, he spends lavishly without restraint, and his bank statements show no large transfers. This suggests he’s involved in some offline transactions.”

As if sensing Lin Qing’s intense curiosity about Chen Sen, Su Yao proceeded to divulge everything she knew about him.

Though Su Yao could leverage considerable authority in her investigations, Chen Sen had specialized personnel meticulously covering his tracks.

After their deliberate efforts to erase evidence, continuing the search proved exceedingly difficult.

Nonetheless, the more elusive Chen Sen became, the more suspicious he appeared.

His entire being reeked of something fishy.

“Even if Wang Fanran steals dogs for Chen Sen, it wouldn’t yield much money. How Chen Sen acquires large sums remains the biggest mystery.

“However, I’m only concerned with Wang Fanran’s vendetta against me; I have no desire to wade into Chen Sen’s murky waters.”

After a moment of contemplation, Lin Qing spoke his thoughts to Su Yao without hesitation.

While Chen Sen was undeniably shrouded in suspicion, these matters held little relevance for Lin Qing.

At this moment, Lin Qing’s sole desire was to apprehend Wang Fanran, this ticking time bomb, to prevent him from suddenly detonating near him.

Endangering the innocent.

“It’s a bit difficult. After Wang Fanran joined the dog-stealing ring, he quickly became a core member due to his numerous successful operations.

“This impressive track record has earned him Chen Sen’s special regard, even leading to discussions of promotion.”

As Su Yao spoke, a flicker of interest crossed her face. She was now intensely curious about what Wang Fanran and Chen Sen were truly plotting.

It was merely dog theft, yet they conducted themselves like a criminal syndicate, complete with distinct roles.

The more she considered it, the more intriguing it became.

“Don’t worry, my uncle, Director Ye Lin, is the Chief of the Police Department. If Chen Sen dares to cause you trouble, he’ll definitely face severe consequences.”

However, recalling Lin Qing’s aversion to trouble, Su Yao suppressed her burgeoning curiosity.

For Lin Qing to join the capture plan, she first needed to offer some enticing bait, drawing the bird closer.

Once they apprehended Wang Fanran, the larger fish, Chen Sen, would also take the hook.

At that point, they would act as the situation demanded.

Since she intended to play, Su Yao refused to be constrained. Thus, even if she ultimately had to seek her uncle’s help, she wanted to enjoy the game to its fullest first!

After confronting Chen Sen and his associates, Su Yao harbored a fervent hope for an opportunity to kill with her own hands!

This was the primary reason for her proactive stance; she had not abandoned her urgent desire to take a life.

However, she couldn’t allow Lin Qing to obstruct her again, as he had the last time.

This time, she would preemptively eliminate any possibility of interruptions, solely to fulfill her wish.

As these thoughts spun in her mind, the excitement in Su Yao’s eyes flashed, then vanished.

“Let’s discuss those matters later! These were my only questions. Now, tell me, how exactly can we apprehend Wang Fanran?”

Upon hearing Su Yao mention Ye Lin, Lin Qing knew it was indeed a viable solution, but one that should be reserved as a last resort.

Simply catching Wang Fanran and handing him over to the police would suffice; there was no need to specifically seek out Director Ye Lin.

Drawing more attention.

Having been unaware of Ye Lin’s identity before, Lin Qing now felt a certain apprehension knowing he was the Chief of the Police Department.

He harbored no desire for extensive contact with the police.

After escaping his captivity, Lin Qing had been somewhat numb and dazed by the outside world. Now, having recovered, recalling his past actions made him hesitant to face the police directly.

Though his actions were born of necessity, he was the only one who had survived and escaped that place.

His path was paved with countless lives and rivers of blood, dragging behind him crimson trails that entangled Lin Qing in nightmares every single night.

He could not escape them.

The cries and resentments blossomed into countless blood-flowers, strewing themselves across Lin Qing’s path.

With every step, blood splattered onto him, gradually staining him red.

It was as if an endless reminder to Lin Qing that his escape did not signify the end of everything.

A normal life was simply not meant for him.

He was destined to hide in the shadows forever; even if brilliant, dazzling sunlight lay just a step away, it held no relevance for him.

In some ways, he and Su Yao were not so different.

“If you merely want to catch Wang Fanran, it’s actually quite simple. We start with their current petty thievery.

“Only by understanding their needs can we design a trap to lure the prey.”

Su Yao, harboring her own subtle intentions, smiled as she spoke, no longer keeping Lin Qing in suspense now that he was cooperating so readily.

Though Wang Fanran enjoyed Chen Sen’s protection, making him difficult to catch, he possessed one fatal flaw.

That was dog theft.

By using a dog as bait, luring Wang Fanran into a trap became remarkably easy.

“He should be here any moment now.”

‘Ring, ring, ring.’

Su Yao lifted a hand to check her watch. No sooner had the words left her lips than the doorbell chimed.

Seeing this, Su Yao glanced at Lin Qing, gesturing for him to open the door.

A distinguished guest had arrived.