Chapter 112: Living Together, Forcible Seizure

Luo Feng knew he could not dissuade me, so he simply told me to be careful.

I escorted Z's mother to the apartment complex I had arranged. It was not as nice as the two Charlie had previously found, but it was reasonably clean and comfortable. I specifically chose a larger unit and told Z's mother that once Z and Charlie were discharged from the hospital, they would all move in here.

Z's mother was a very industrious woman. No sooner had I sat down than she began cleaning the room. She looked older than her peers, and her back was slightly hunched. She worked incessantly. When I asked her why she didn’t hire someone to clean, her answer was heartbreaking.

She said she couldn't bear to spend the money.

Because of Z's acting career, her mother had managed to save a fair amount. Although they hadn't seen each other for two years, Z still regularly wired money to her mother's account. However, her mother couldn't bring herself to use it. She told me that because of the dramatic highs and lows of Z's career over the past two years, she never felt that show business was a stable profession.

She worried that something else might happen to Z, so she saved every cent Z sent her. She was a mother who thought only of her daughter’s well-being. I asked her how she felt after Z's scandal broke. She began to cry, telling me that the gossip among relatives and friends was distressing, but seeing Z in such agony, she couldn't bring herself to blame her. She only wished for Z to be well.

Z's mother put down her broom and asked, "She is doing alright, isn't she?"

I shrugged and stood up. I didn't answer her question, telling her instead to be careful and to check who was at the door before opening it. I left my phone number with her in case she needed anything. I took the stairwell instead of the elevator. When I reached the underground garage, I looked around and nodded with satisfaction.

I called Chen Fan and asked him to confirm when Charlie could be discharged. Not long after, Chen Fan got back to me. The doctor said Charlie could be discharged soon, but Charlie insisted on leaving today. By the time he called, Charlie and Z had already completed the discharge formalities.

The police had been following Z, and neither Charlie nor Z objected. After leaving the hospital, they didn't return to the apartment immediately, but went to the film studio to find the production crew. Even now, Charlie remained deeply concerned about Z's career. According to Chen Fan, Charlie had gotten into an argument with the crew, even with bandages still wrapped around his head.

While they were still at the studio, I went ahead to wait for them outside. Since Tang Jia was no longer in charge of the Kuman Thong case, I could act more openly. When Z and Charlie emerged, they were followed by several police officers, including Chen Fan.

I greeted Z and told her that the living arrangements were ready and her mother was waiting for her.

Z hesitated, saying that since the case wasn't solved yet, she didn't want to see her mother for fear of bringing bad luck upon her. She gave the same excuse again. I shrugged and said that with so many police officers and me present, nothing could possibly go wrong. After much hesitation, Charlie patted Z on the shoulder and said it had been a long time, so she should go see her.

Z finally agreed. With Tang Jia gone, Chen Fan’s status had risen; he didn't object, so the other officers said nothing. We took a seven-seater vehicle. The underground garage was empty; it was small, and few people in this complex drove.

Outside the door, I rang the bell, and it took a while for Z's mother to open it. She was surprised to see so many people, but she welcomed us in. The lighting was dim, casting a hazy atmosphere over the room. Z's mother said she had made dumplings and invited everyone to eat.

Z, however, said she had no appetite and went straight to her room.

Z's mother looked disappointed. Charlie patted her on the shoulder, telling her that Z was stressed lately and to please understand. Her mother nodded, saying as long as Z was safe, it was enough. We sat in the living room, ate the dumplings, and then Chen Fan and I left, leaving the officers to watch over them.

Luo Feng was waiting for my return. He asked if I had figured out how to save Wang Yazhuo. I told him I had. He immediately asked for the method, and I gave him two words: "Forceful rescue." Luo Feng stared at me in disbelief: "Are you crazy? How can you possibly pull that off?"

"I've scouted the courtyard. Stealth is impossible. There is no better way than a direct, forceful rescue," I replied.

Luo Feng remained uneasy: "How are you going to do it?"

I smiled slightly: "We only have one chance. It must succeed; failure is not an option. We will act on the day I leave Chongqing. For now, we must buy time."

There was less than a month left before Wang Jianming would execute his plan. On the day I left, even if I only managed to stall for six days, our performance had convinced Wang Jianming that we were genuinely cooperating with him, and his focus was entirely on his original plan.

A month is a short time for a major operation. If six days were consumed, the remaining time would be even tighter. Wang Jianming would have no way to make other plans in such a short window. He valued this operation so much that even if things went wrong, he wouldn't turn on Luo Feng immediately; he would continue the partnership.

Luo Feng gritted his teeth and cursed: "Let's gamble. I don't believe this old fox would dare to touch me. If he does, I'll take him down with me, even if it means giving up everything I've built in Beijing for years."

I nodded and went to my room.

I tried to have the spirit girl stay in Beijing to wait for me, but no matter what I said, she refused. After the warnings from Xiao Mei and the Anonymous source, I felt this trip to Chongqing would be extremely dangerous. Bringing her along was inconvenient, and I feared I wouldn't be able to protect her.

In the end, she started crying, and my resolve softened. I agreed to take her to Chongqing. She was easy to soothe; as soon as I said yes, she wiped away her tears and smiled.

Before going to sleep, I received a call from one of my subordinates.

After hearing what he had to say, I smiled. Everything was proceeding exactly as I had anticipated.

At dawn, I went to Wang Jianming's courtyard again. We discussed the specifics of how Luo Feng's people would escort that group of people. To avoid raising Wang Jianming's suspicions, I didn't try to scout the courtyard again, and another day passed.

There were less than two days left before my departure from Beijing.

I wasn't in a hurry. A day or two wouldn't make a difference. If I could solve the case sooner, that would be ideal, but if not, leaving a day or two late wouldn't matter.

As dusk fell, I called Chen Fan and told him to bring his service weapon and wait for me outside the police station. He asked what I was planning, and I asked him if he wanted to earn a commendation. He nodded immediately.

I told him to get in the car. On the way, he kept asking how I intended to solve the case, but a cold look from me made him go quiet.

It was night by the time I parked in the underground garage of the new complex. I found a spot, and Chen Fan and I sat down. The temperature in the garage was very low. We stayed there until dawn, but nothing happened. We drove away.

Chen Fan asked what I was waiting for, and I said, "For the killer to strike."

Chen Fan asked, "Then why not keep waiting?"

I smiled slightly: "The killer only strikes at night."

Chen Fan was confused: "Why? The previous cases didn't necessarily happen at night."

I said, "Don't ask too many questions. The killer can only strike at night now, and they must succeed—failure is not an option."

After resting for a full day, night fell again, and I brought Chen Fan back to the underground garage to wait. The garage was vast and empty, and we didn't speak a word.