Chapter 033: Indirect Collusion

The short-haired woman seemed not to believe at first that I would actually strangle her to death, so she kept her mouth tightly shut, glaring at me in fury, refusing to utter a word. But soon, she grew anxious, as I showed no intention of loosening my grip—I continued to squeeze her throat tightly. She began to kick vigorously, the whites of her eyes slowly rolling upward. Her hands clutched my wrists. I smiled faintly, sensing it was enough, and finally released her. She collapsed onto the floor of the emergency stairwell, both hands pressed to her throat, gasping desperately for breath and coughing violently. I crouched beside her, studying her with keen interest.

Terrified, she tried to retreat, but her back was already pressed firmly against the corner wall. I laughed and ceased urging her to speak. I was certain now that something was amiss with her—not only because the boy had said he'd heard her voice before, but also because she looked flustered when I approached her.

Once her breathing steadied, I extended my hand. She shrank away, frightened, sobbing and begging me not to hurt her. I no longer used force; instead, I gently stroked her face with the back of my hand. "Such a beautiful face," I murmured. "No wonder Old Nine and his companions were bewitched the moment they arrived at the port."

My sudden words made her expression change, panic flickering across her features before she could mask it. I had already grasped her character—her composure was only a façade. A little roughness, a few words she couldn’t easily respond to, and it was immediately clear whether she was involved.

I stood, lit a cigarette, and told her she could consider how best to deceive me, but the longer she pondered, the faster her death would come. After much hesitation, she finally spoke, admitting she had indeed lured Old Nine and his companions into the den of vice.

I stubbed out my cigarette. She recounted, haltingly, that after Old Nine and the others entered her room, she handed them water laced with sedatives; they soon lost consciousness. Then, one by one, she helped them out through the iron door at the back of the establishment.

She explained that the place was crowded and busy—everyone occupied with guests and entertainment. Her room was near the back door, so no one noticed what she was doing. She fell silent at this point. Just as I prepared to press further, the man bitten by the boy arrived, bringing a police officer with him.

I told the officer to immediately contact the precinct handling the Ghostly Banquet case, stating the short-haired woman was connected to it. The officer, realizing the gravity of the situation, hesitantly called the precinct. About twenty minutes later, the authorities arrived, and Chen Fan came along with them.

The police originally intended to take me in as well, but Chen Fan quickly claimed I was his assistant, so they left me alone. The short-haired woman was taken to the station. On the way back, Chen Fan stealthily asked me who she was.

I replied, "This is the biggest breakthrough since the Ghostly Banquet case began."

We had suspected Yunqing and Yun Gao, but lacked solid evidence of their involvement. Now, at last, we had a direct suspect. Chen Fan was excited, walking beside me and whispering, "Han, you're amazing."

I took the boy’s hand and gently swung it. "It's the boy who's amazing," I said.

The boy laughed happily, but the sound made Chen Fan’s face sour. He kept his distance from the boy, quickly stepping aside whenever the boy looked his way.

For once, my mood improved. With the boy, I returned to the station with Chen Fan. The short-haired woman had already been taken to the interrogation room. Chen Fan and I sat outside as Luo Feng called me—he’d been investigating for a long time and finally had progress. He gave me a name: the short-haired woman’s.

Luo Feng had persistently questioned several people, and someone finally remembered that the earliest rumors about the den of vice being unsavory had come from her. Luo Feng had his men inquire for ages, eventually taking matters into his own hands to get answers.

They said that during intimate moments, the short-haired woman had suddenly mentioned the rumor. At the time, no one paid much attention, so it left little impression afterward. Luo Feng was certain: "The rumor started with her. Later, Yun Gao heard it and exaggerated it, leading to the den’s decline."

I raised the hefty handset and asked Luo Feng if the short-haired woman and Yun Gao had any connection.

Luo Feng found it odd and investigated, but found no link between them—at least, none he could uncover with his resources and contacts. This was a key doubt. We wondered: if they didn’t know each other, why did Yun Gao deliberately amplify the rumor, allowing the short-haired woman to leave the den openly under the guise of poor business and evade investigation?

Luo Feng admitted he hadn’t figured it out and asked how the short-haired woman’s confession was progressing.

I glanced at Chen Fan, who hadn’t entered the room—he was snacking on sunflower seeds and chatting with the port police. I told Luo Feng I’d update him later, hung up, and called Chen Fan over. The woman was still being interrogated, so I sent Chen Fan in to check.

Chen Fan popped another seed in his mouth, took a few steps, then turned back with a grin to tell me that Yun Gao had visited again that evening, this time bringing Yunqing’s mother. I was taken aback and stood, asking if Elder Li had come.

Chen Fan looked alarmed, nodded, and asked what was wrong.

"Did Yun Gao see Yunqing?" I asked.

He nodded again. "Yes."

"Did he meet Yunqing alone?"

Chen Fan thought for a moment, hesitating under my rapid questioning. He explained that at first, Yun Gao and Yunqing’s mother met Yunqing together, but then Yunqing’s mother left, and Yun Gao stayed.

I grabbed Chen Fan’s collar. "Why didn’t you tell me sooner!"

He protested, saying he didn’t think it was important, so hadn’t rushed to inform me. I shoved him into the interrogation room, telling him to check and report back immediately. Chen Fan hurried inside, and our behavior drew curious glances, but I paid them no mind. I thought we finally had progress, but after hearing Chen Fan, a deep unease settled in my heart. Sure enough, not long after, Chen Fan came out, nearly in tears.

He told me the short-haired woman confessed to conspiring with Yunqing to kill Old Nine and his companions.

I swore—my fears had come true.

"Where’s Yunqing?" I demanded.

Chen Fan avoided my gaze, saying Yunqing had, like the short-haired woman, confessed to conspiring with her to abduct the victims from the den. Yunqing admitted only to that, the rest was from the woman’s account; Chen Fan wasn’t clear on the specifics.

My face turned grim. Chen Fan kept apologizing. Even he understood what had happened. Yun Gao had been desperate to see Yunqing, clearly to ensure Yunqing’s confession would seem credible to the police. Yunqing had avoided Yun Gao until now; this time, Yun Gao even brought Yunqing’s mother.

Yunqing’s mother was the only person Yunqing cared for at home.

I was convinced Yunqing’s sudden confession—matching the short-haired woman’s—was likely due to something Yun Gao said, causing them to indirectly coordinate their testimonies.

Chen Fan’s delay prevented me from stopping their false confessions. Yunqing, innocent, was determined to admit guilt. After Yun Gao’s visit, Yunqing’s statement changed, worsening her situation.

This only confirmed my suspicions about Yun Gao.

"Han, there was a guard present when Yun Gao met Yunqing. You could question him!" Chen Fan suddenly said.

I sneered, "You think you can distract the guard and let me see Yunqing alone? Do you really think Yun Gao is that stupid?"

Chen Fan sighed, asking what to do next. I told him to find out exactly what the short-haired woman had confessed, and if possible, get the interrogation transcript for me. I also asked him to arrange for me to meet Yunqing and the woman separately.

Knowing he’d erred, Chen Fan rushed off.

With the latest developments, the whole station worked overtime.

Late at night, Chen Fan was still running errands for me. The boy was asleep. It was cold, and with no outcome yet, I picked him up and slowly made my way to the hotel.

The wind outside was fierce, but the boy slept peacefully in my arms.

As I rounded a corner, my gaze fell upon a woman in a long white dress—on such a night, this attire was sure to attract attention.

She stood at the intersection, half-hidden by a wall, only half her body visible. Her hair was long, dancing wild in the wind. When she turned her face toward me, I stopped in my tracks. Under the streetlamp, I saw her features clearly—she was none other than Little Mei, the one who had stolen my bracelet in the den of vice.