Chapter 88: A New Lead and a Desperate Confession

“But, I just saw you from behind…

It was only after I called the police, in a moment of panic, that I steadied myself by holding Lin Qing’s back… And regardless of your relationship, what gives you the right to hit someone over this?”

Su Yao’s icy gaze remained fixed on Liu Hong, her aggressive demeanor starkly different from her usual self.

A jolt went through Liu Hong and his two companions, a sudden realization that they had truly messed up this time.

“Lin Qing, I’m truly sorry. I acted impulsively just now.”

He conveniently ignored the latter half of Su Yao’s statement.

Upon realizing the situation wasn’t what he’d imagined, Liu Hong didn’t hesitate. He immediately clasped his hands together in front of him, facing Lin Qing, and apologized, his face etched with remorse.

Ordinarily, given Liu Hong’s disposition, a casual beating was nothing to dwell on.

But this time…

Lin Qing was different.

Moreover, Su Yao stood nearby, having witnessed the entire incident firsthand.

Clearly, this matter couldn’t be brushed aside so easily.

As he saw Lin Qing’s torn clothes, from which faint traces of blood seeped, Liu Hong’s heart sank, a feeling of utter doom washing over him.

‘Impulsiveness truly was the devil!’

He had been so consumed with striking out that he hadn’t considered the consequences at all.

“Lin Qing, this is all my fault. If I hadn’t spouted nonsense, Brother Liu wouldn’t have been so impulsive! If you’re angry, you can hit me. I promise I won’t fight back.”

Just as Liu Hong was thinking everything was over, Wang Jian observed the unfolding situation and knew he couldn’t remain silent any longer.

With a hardened resolve, he stepped forward directly.

Though he declared himself willing to be beaten by Lin Qing, Wang Jian privately considered Lin Qing’s slender physique and presumed any blows wouldn’t inflict much pain.

‘He could endure it!’

Otherwise, once Brother Liu regained his composure, he would surely give Wang Jian a proper beating.

‘That would be far worse!’

“I can act on Lin Qing’s behalf, and I assure you, I won’t hold back.”

However, just as Wang Jian was entertaining these thoughts, Su Yao suddenly spoke, her cold gaze meeting theirs, as if she had seen right through his petty calculations.

There was nowhere to hide.

Recalling how Su Yao had effortlessly kicked Liu Hong to the ground, Wang Jian’s body immediately began to tremble.

‘No, this won’t do!’

‘Su Yao was furious; if she didn’t hold back, he’d surely end up in the hospital!’

“Su Yao, this whole thing started because of me. If there’s to be any punishment, hit me instead!”

As Wang Jian shivered, Liu Hong watched his subordinate bravely taking the blame, a wave of profound emotion washing over him. He stepped forward decisively, placing a hand on Wang Jian’s shoulder, and spoke with an air of one facing death without fear.

After all, he was the one who had caused the trouble; it made no sense for Wang Jian to bear the consequences.

Furthermore, no matter how harshly Su Yao might strike, he wouldn’t utter a single complaint.

Instead, he would simply feel that he had finally made contact with Su Yao…

‘A small surge of joy.’

“Brother Liu!”

Hearing Liu Hong’s words, Wang Jian’s eyes immediately welled up, realizing just how righteous their boss truly was.

‘Wuwu, he would surely show more filial respect to their boss from now on, and never again curse him as barbaric behind his back.’

“I’m fine. You can all disperse now.”

However, before Liu Hong and Wang Jian could fully play out their dramatic display of deep camaraderie, Lin Qing’s voice, tinged with weariness, suddenly broke through.

He had no desire to pursue Liu Hong’s actions right now.

Even if he did, it would be pointless.

‘Could it bring Wang Fanran back?’

‘No.’

Therefore, it was better to return home and strategize, to see if there was another way to lure Wang Fanran out again.

After hearing those words from Wang Fanran’s lips, Lin Qing was destined not to give up the pursuit; he had to uncover the real truth.

With his mind solely focused on capturing Wang Fanran, Lin Qing did not remain slumped on the ground. Instead, he staggered to his feet, preparing to head home.

However, at that very moment, Su Yao suddenly reached out and gripped his arm.

This caught Lin Qing off guard; he wasn’t sure what Su Yao intended to do.

“Although Wang Fanran escaped, there’s still a turn of events possible now.”

When Su Yao looked at Lin Qing, her demeanor was devoid of the iciness she had shown to Liu Hong and his two companions. Instead, the corners of her lips curled upward slightly, revealing a hint of cunning amusement.

She then pointed towards Shirley, who was circling the electric tricycle.

Shirley barked occasionally, baring her teeth with a fierce look that was unlike her usual docile self.

“There’s an accomplice of Wang Fanran on the tricycle. If we catch them, we should be able to find out Wang Fanran’s whereabouts.”

Immediately, upon hearing Su Yao’s words, Liu Hong knew his chance to prove himself had arrived.

Without waiting for instructions, he immediately sprinted towards the tricycle, intent on apprehending Wang Fanran’s accomplice.

However…

Seeing a stranger charging over, Shirley, guarding the tricycle, redirected her attention and let out a low growl at Liu Hong, signaling him to stay away.

The husky’s size was considerable, and its fierce appearance was intimidating.

Even though Liu Hong wanted to make a grand display at that moment, he quickly halted, unwilling to stage a humiliating man-versus-dog battle in front of Su Yao.

“Shirley, come here.”

Subsequently, at Su Yao’s call, the husky, previously filled with hostility, immediately trotted eagerly towards her, circling her without pause.

Seeing the dog that had blocked his path now gone, Liu Hong immediately approached the tricycle. He swiftly lifted the waterproof tarp covering it, but before he could even check if anyone was inside, a leg suddenly shot out, kicking him forcefully in the chest.

With immense strength, he dragged the man from the tricycle to the ground. To prevent his escape, he stomped a foot onto the man’s waist, rendering him immobile.

Seeing that there genuinely was someone hidden in the tricycle, the others were equally astonished.

They had never imagined someone would be hiding there.

‘Shirley’s nose truly was remarkable.’

Lin Qing had originally given up on finding Wang Fanran in the short term, but now, seeing the sudden appearance of the dog-stealing accomplice, a flicker of hope immediately ignited in his eyes.

“Ouch! What are you doing? I was just sleeping in the car! How dare you hit me? I’m calling the police!”

Hearing this, Liu Hong’s face twisted into a sneer, and he immediately pressed down harder with his foot.

He was not only overbearing at school but equally so in society.

No matter what trouble he stirred up, his family, with their underworld connections, would always clean up his messes.

Furthermore, his family fully supported his actions.

They almost wished he would stir up even more trouble.

This, they believed, would temper him, preparing him to take over the family business in the future.

As for his future, Liu Hong had no particular ambitions, apart from wanting to marry Su Yao. For his own life, he simply wished to drift along, content with whatever came his way.

Since his family was involved in such affairs, it seemed only natural for a son to inherit his father’s legacy.

‘Life was a cycle.’

‘Few could break free from its confines, so why struggle excessively? It was better to just lie flat and accept it.’

“If you hadn’t mentioned it, I almost forgot. Judging by the time, the police should be arriving soon.”

Su Yao bent down to pat Shirley’s head as a reward, then spoke coolly, a hint of schadenfreude in her tone that sent a chill down the dog-stealing accomplice’s spine.

‘They actually called the police! How ruthless could they be?!’

‘Weren’t these people his classmates? Why were they trying to push him to his death?’

‘Classmates? No, these were sworn enemies!’

‘If he got caught by the police here…’

Thinking of what awaited him, Haozi’s body shuddered.

Instantly, his earlier ferocity vanished, replaced by utter cowardice.

“Just don’t hand me over to the police! I’ll tell you anything you want to know!”

Haozi had engaged in plenty of petty thievery, and observing the current situation, though he didn’t grasp all the details, he knew what these students were after.

It was undoubtedly information about Shike.

Haozi felt no loyalty towards Shike; they were merely partners in crime.

There was little affection between them, so betraying his whereabouts wouldn’t matter.

“Seven minutes have passed since the call to the police was made.

The call said they’d arrive in the neighborhood within ten minutes, so you have three minutes to answer our questions. If your answers satisfy us, you can leave quickly before the police get here. Otherwise, things will get messy.”

Su Yao watched the dog-stealing accomplice, who had stopped resisting and now appeared cooperative, and smiled with satisfaction before pressing them further.

Haozi quickly nodded repeatedly, desperately hoping Su Yao would finish her questions soon. If the police arrived early, he truly wouldn’t be able to escape!

“You know Wang Fanran, right?”

“I don’t know him. But if you’re referring to the person who just escaped, then yes, I know him! He’s Shike, a member of the same gang. In our group, we don’t use real names, only codenames. I’m Haozi.”

“Do you live here?”

“Lotus Alley in West City.”

Su Yao quickly extracted the address, but then, as if suddenly remembering something, she pressed for more information.

“You just mentioned a gang, but Chen Sen doesn’t live in that alley, does he? Where does he live? Or rather, where do the more powerful members of the organization reside?”

Hearing this, a flicker of hesitation crossed Haozi’s eyes, and his facial expression became incredibly complex.

He looked like he wanted to speak but was too cowardly to do so.

However, when Su Yao raised a hand and pointed to the watch on her wrist, he knew it was a reminder that time was running out.

‘If he hesitated any longer, everything would be too late.’

“In the abandoned slaughterhouse in the city’s outskirts. Chen Sen and the others all live there. Wang Fanran has stirred up trouble, so he’ll definitely go there to seek Chen Sen’s help now.”

Haozi steeled his heart and spoke, eyes closed, desperate to escape and no longer caring about the consequences.

Seeing this, a hint of delight flashed in Su Yao’s eyes, knowing that things were proceeding according to plan.

She no longer needed to do anything more. Seeing Lin Qing’s determined expression, he would surely go to the abandoned slaughterhouse to find Wang Fanran.

And to discover what illicit dealings Chen Sen was truly involved in, and whether they were connected to child trafficking.

The unfolding events were becoming increasingly intriguing.

“Get lost!”

As these thoughts ran through her mind, Su Yao’s words left her lips, and Liu Hong obediently lifted his foot, allowing Haozi to scramble up and quickly flee, not daring to look back.

At this moment, Su Yao turned her head to Lin Qing, questioning with her eyes what they should do next.

“I’m going to the slaughterhouse. Today.”

Lin Qing’s answer did not disappoint Su Yao; it was precisely what she wanted to hear.

“The old den — the abandoned slaughterhouse.”

“Good. Now we can proceed to the next step of the plan: heading to Chen Sen’s old den, the abandoned slaughterhouse.”

“Lin Qing, all of this happened because of me, so I’ll come with you!”

However, Liu Hong suddenly spoke at this moment, causing Su Yao’s delicate brows to furrow slightly.

‘What is Liu Hong doing, causing more trouble!’