Ji Dashun and Song Hongyu were successively escorted to the Security Bureau; all four criminals had been apprehended. To prevent any unforeseen incidents, I decided to depart with the prisoners that very night. The Ministry of Public Security has regulations stating that when out-of-town police come to make arrests, local police must cooperate. I dared not let the Suilu City Public Security Bureau know about this arrest operation. If they found out, I wouldn’t be able to take any of these people back.
Such incidents were far too common; fugitives from murder cases were extremely valuable, and whoever caught them could claim the credit. Arresting people on Suilu’s turf was like snatching food from their mouths. They had every right to detain the criminals, with ample justification: the criminals had lived in Suilu City for ten years, so hadn’t they committed any crimes within Suilu’s jurisdiction? We would have to investigate thoroughly before proceeding.
We hadn’t brought a prison van because we couldn’t risk drawing attention. The four suspects, wearing hoods, shackles, and handcuffs, were confined in a minibus, while two other vehicles held Deng Liqun and Song Hongyu’s brother. We took turns driving, with the vehicles running non-stop while the people rested. When exhaustion set in, we resorted to eating chili peppers to stay alert.
At dawn, the vehicles pulled into a gas station to refuel. The special police officers escorted the suspects to the restrooms separately. Zhen Zhen accompanied Song Hongyu out of the women’s restroom, while I escorted Deng Ligang towards the men’s room. Through a gap in her hood, Song Hongyu recognized Deng Ligang’s shoes as he approached.
Song Hongyu said, “Husband, I’m here.”
Deng Ligang, hearing her voice, immediately halted.
Song Hongyu continued, “This lifetime wasn’t enough with you; in the next life, I’ll be your wife again.”
Zhen Zhen jabbed her elbow hard, nearly knocking the wind out of Song Hongyu.
Deng Ligang replied, “Being with me is a dead end.”
Song Hongyu retorted, “From the moment we’re born, we’re all walking towards death.”
Zhen Zhen elbowed her again, and Song Hongyu stifled a cry of pain.
Back on the road, Ge Shoujia took the wheel with Lin Hui in the passenger seat, vigilantly watching the road ahead. Yang Bo guarded Shi Bi, Zhen Zhen watched Song Hongyu, and I kept an eye on Deng Ligang. The four prisoners behaved quite differently during the journey. Shi Bi slept like a Buddha, one nap following another. Ji Dashun had completely crumbled and slumped in his seat like a mud doll. Song Hongyu alternated between crying and laughing. Deng Ligang sat ramrod straight, chatting with me.
He asked what books I liked to read. I replied that I read whatever I could get my hands on. He said, “I enjoy detective novels. I’ve read all nine volumes of the complete Sherlock Holmes stories.”
“Which nine?” I inquired.
He listed them: “A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Valley of Fear, His Last Bow, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.”
“Do you watch legal programs on TV?” I asked.
“Of course,” he replied. “Know your enemy as you know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat.”
“That’s quite a boast,” I remarked.
“In ten years, you’ve crossed paths with me twice without catching me. That’s a fact, isn’t it?” His face was hidden by the hood, but the smugness in his voice was grating.
I said, “As the saying goes, ‘Things don’t happen more than thrice.’ You didn’t escape the third time, Deng Ligang. Remember, three is your lucky number.”
Deng Ligang snorted defiantly.
I continued, “Look, you didn’t use credit cards, didn’t fly, didn’t stay in hotels, and never left any identity information in public places. You thought that by being so cautious, your peaceful days could continue indefinitely. You never imagined that after ten years, you’d be caught by me in one swift move.”
I patted his shoulder and said, “Sleep now. When we get home, you won’t be able to sleep even if you want to.”
Deng Ligang fell silent, and I couldn’t tell if he had fallen asleep. I certainly couldn’t sleep; my eyes were bloodshot and dry, feeling like sandpaper scraping against my eyelids.
We covered the two-thousand-kilometer journey in one go. As the car entered Snow City, I pulled the hood off Deng Ligang’s head and told him to look out the window.
“Do you recognize this place?” I asked.
Deng Ligang blinked, slowly adjusting to the light. He said, “I left Snow City ten years ago. I don’t recognize anything here anymore.”
Pointing to the traffic light ahead, I told him, “This is the intersection of Qingtan Street and Tonghui Street.”
“Ah, I know it now,” he said, averting his gaze.
I said, “This is where you fled from all those years ago, and this is where your trial will take place. Deng Ligang, you’ve come full circle, from starting point to endpoint.”
Deng Ligang closed his eyes, no longer interested in talking to me.
The criminals were escorted into the detention center, and everyone’s taut nerves finally relaxed, leaving us feeling completely drained. I organized an ice hockey match with twelve officers from the Criminal Investigation Department, six players on each team, fiercely battling on the ice rink. The players’ bodies collided violently. The officers who weren’t playing cheered from behind the barriers, banging on the railings. The puck came to my feet, and I swung, shooting it into the goal. The spectators whistled and shouted, some throwing their hats and gloves onto the rink.
Yang Bo tackled me against the barrier, his hot breath on my face.
I removed my helmet and asked, “Want to fight?”
Yang Bo took off his helmet: “Bring it on!”
We tossed our helmets, hockey sticks, and gloves onto the ice. Seeing our actions, the teams immediately descended into chaos, with players from both sides grappling with each other. The spectators outside the rink excitedly pounded on the barriers in rhythm, cheering us on.
As per tradition, after leaving the ice rink, more than a dozen of us men sat naked and sweating profusely in the sauna, animatedly discussing the thrilling pursuit in Suilu City.
I said, “Brothers, you’ve worked hard on this operation. As usual, I’ll treat everyone to a meal.”
Yang Bo retorted, “You can’t even drink. What are you bragging about?”
“I can’t drink, but you can!” I replied.
“Can we drink as much as we want?” Ge Shoujia asked.
I said, “Open up as wide as you can. If you’ve got the guts, drink Xiqing Lou dry.”
Yang Bo suggested, “Forget Xiqing Lou. Let’s stick to our usual – hot pot and beer. It’s more down-to-earth.”
We went to the hot pot restaurant on Qingtan Street. The brothers sat around the table, with bright red broth bubbling in the pot. Everyone laughed and clinked glasses frequently, with Zhen Zhen sitting among us, smiling happily. While we were drinking, Zhen Zhen slipped out of the restaurant and walked to the door of the shop that Du Zhong’s father used to own. The tree stump at the entrance was still there, but the arts and crafts shop had been replaced by a cake and ice cream store. Zhen Zhen bought an ice cream and asked the owner, “This used to be an arts and crafts shop, right?”
The owner replied, “Yes, that shop moved away.”
“Where did it move to?” Zhen Zhen asked.
The owner said, “They rented a stall in Qingtan Building.”
Qingtan Building was luxurious, with young people crowding inside to shop, drink cold beverages, eat, and watch movies. Zhen Zhen went down to the basement level. Opposite the elevator, in a display case, sat a large wooden cruise ship model. Zhen Zhen was immediately drawn to it and went over to examine it closely. There was no one at the counter. Zhen Zhen bought a popsicle from the ice cream shop and returned to the hot pot restaurant. Ice cream with hot pot – a contrast of hot and cold.
On the weekend, I invited Zhen Zhen to come to my house for dumplings. The first thing Zhen Zhen did upon arriving was to tutor Peng Cheng. Peng Cheng was in his rebellious phase; sitting on a bench was like having thorns stuck in his bottom – uncomfortable no matter how he sat. But as they say, there’s always someone who can handle a difficult person, and Zhen Zhen seemed to have a way with him.
Zhen Zhen explained an assignment to Peng Cheng: “A bucket contains water and a large amount of ice cubes. The ice cubes touch the bottom of the bucket. After the ice melts, will the water level be A) higher than the original water level, B) equal to the original water level, or C) lower than the original water level? Which do you choose: A, B, or C?”
Peng Cheng chewed on his pen for a long time without answering.
“Can’t answer?” Zhen Zhen asked.
“Which one would you choose?” Peng Cheng asked in return.
Zhen Zhen said, “I’d choose A.”
“Why?” Peng Cheng asked.
Zhen Zhen explained, “After the ice melts, the water level rises, higher than the original water level.”
Peng Cheng looked at her, puzzled.
“Let me put it this way,” she continued. “If the ice were floating on the water surface in the container, the mass wouldn’t change when it melts. But in this question, the ice isn’t floating on the surface. That’s the key to solving this problem.”
When they sat down at the dinner table to eat, Zhen Zhen asked Peng Cheng, “Do you accept it now?”
Peng Cheng replied, “No.”
“Then do the next question on your own,” she said.
“You just said that pride leads to failure,” he retorted.
Zhen Zhen said, “Only when you have a bucket of water yourself can you give a bowl of water to students. Your teacher has said this before, right?”
“Yes,” he admitted.
“To be honest, your sister here really does have a bucket of water,” Zhen Zhen declared.
Cheng Guo and I chuckled. Peng Cheng fell silent and buried his head in his chicken feet.
I asked Zhen Zhen, “Have your parents moved back to Snow City?”
Zhen Zhen nodded, “Yes, they took back the house they had rented out and renovated it a bit.”
“Do the old couple still argue?” I inquired.
“They’re too old to argue now. They’ve shifted all their attention to the cat they’re raising. They spend all day chasing after it, calling ‘Mimi, Mimi.'”
Cheng Guo suggested, “You should find a partner quickly, get married, and have a child. That would give your parents something meaningful to do.”
“I can’t,” Zhen Zhen flatly refused.
Cheng Guo asked, “Why not?”
Zhen Zhen explained, “After returning from Luan City, I had psychological issues for a long time. My parents moved away because of my condition. Although I’m better now, I still have a strong wariness towards men.”
I said, “The guys from the Criminal Investigation Unit take you out drinking with them. I don’t see any wariness there.”
Zhen Zhen exclaimed, “They’re my family!”
Peng Cheng suddenly asked, “Sister, how do you calculate the total resistance when two resistors are connected in parallel?”
Zhen Zhen answered without hesitation, “The reciprocal of the sum of the reciprocals!”
With the criminals apprehended, I immediately called Liu Liang. He was trying to persuade his wife to drink some medicinal soup.
“Drink the medicine, and your body won’t hurt anymore. You’ll be able to sleep too. Come on, drink it?” he coaxed.
His wife faced the wall, ignoring him.
Hearing the phone ring, Liu Liang put down the medicine bowl and answered. He asked who was calling.
I said, “It’s me, Peng Zhaolin. I have good news for you. The criminals who killed Liu Xinyuan have been caught.”
There was no response on the other end. Thinking the line had been cut, I said “Hello” several times.
Liu Liang’s body trembled as he said in a shaky voice, “I’ve put you on speakerphone. Please say it again louder so my wife and daughter can hear.”
My words came clearly through the speaker: “The gang of criminals who killed Liu Xinyuan have all been apprehended.”
Liu Liang was speechless, tears gushing out like a broken dam. His wife struggled to get off the kang bed and walked to the table, her eyes fixed intently on the phone.
Liu Liang asked her through his tears, “Did you hear that?”
Liu Liang’s wife picked up the phone and asked softly, “Did our Xinyuan hear it too?”
“A life for a life. Your daughter can rest in peace now,” I said firmly.
Liu Liang’s wife hung up the phone, tears streaming down her face. She then broke into loud sobs, her cries growing louder. Liu Liang walked over and gently patted her back. The doctor had once said that if she could cry, her condition would improve. But she hadn’t shed a single tear until now. This outpouring of emotion was long overdue – these were tears she had been holding back for ten years.
Three days later, Liu Liang brought his wife to Snow City. As they pushed open the office door and saw me, they fell to their knees, pulling his wife down with him. Startled, I hurriedly helped the elderly couple up and settled them on the sofa.
Liu Liang, with tears in his eyes, gripped my hand tightly and said, “Last night, I dreamed of our Xinyuan. It’s been ten years since I last saw her in my dreams. My daughter looked just as she did when she left home. She told me, ‘Dad, my revenge has been taken. I can go in peace now.’ It was so vivid, it didn’t feel like a dream at all.”
Liu Liang’s wife nodded repeatedly with a simple smile. She unrolled something she had been holding to her chest – it was a banner. One and a half meters wide and two meters long, it bore sixteen large characters that read: “Social conscience upholds justice; heroic police, the nemesis of criminals.” The elderly couple said they would attend the trial when the criminals were judged.
Deng Ligang had a criminal record with the Snow City Public Security Bureau. After his arrest, some people reported him, and the facts were verified. His crimes were listed in detail, and with the victims’ families present, his sentence would be increased. Getting him to admit his guilt was a difficult process.
The preliminary investigation relies on logical thinking to judge the innocence of the confessor. It’s a back-and-forth process, with each link connecting to the next. The investigator must be fully focused on finding loopholes and entry points. It’s a close-quarters battle of wits. If the arrest process was like cornered beasts fighting desperately, the preliminary investigation was their last stand.
Deng Ligang appeared indifferent, like a dead pig unfazed by boiling water. He kept his eyes half-closed, letting the investigator ask questions.
The investigator asked, “Did you commit the crime in Nanfeng?”
Deng Ligang rolled his eyes and said, “No.”
The investigator pressed, “Then who did it?”
Deng Ligang answered, “How would I know?”
The investigator continued, “How could you not know?”
Deng Ligang leaned back, his face full of indifference: “I’m bleeding from my ass. How could I care about someone else’s hemorrhoids?”
He threatened to bang his head on the table if questioned further, claiming a headache. The guard escorted the hooded Deng Ligang back to his cell, while Shi Bi was led out. Hearing the chains, Deng Ligang realized Shi Bi was being taken for interrogation.
Deng Ligang shouted, “The one in Nanfeng, we didn’t do it!”
The guard shoved him. Hooded Shi Bi hesitated briefly as he passed by.
Ge Shoujia said, “He must have killed them. How could he possibly leave witnesses?”
“I refuse to believe it. I’ll interrogate him tomorrow,” Yang Bo replied.
During the interrogation, Deng Ligang sat dejectedly at the table, with Yang Bo and Ge Shoujia across from him.
Yang Bo asked, “Will you talk or not?”
Deng Ligang sighed, “Human life is too short. The universe has existed for 150 billion years. I’m not even a speck of dust in comparison. What do you want me to say?”
“Don’t give me that nonsense. One thing’s for sure: I’ll outlive you. I have all the time to wait for you,” Yang Bo said.
Deng Ligang looked at him earnestly, “You can wait?”
“I can,” Yang Bo answered confidently.
Suddenly, Deng Ligang slammed his forehead on the table with a sharp crack. He didn’t raise his head for a long time.
Ge Shoujia barked, “Lift your head and answer the questions!”
Deng Ligang slowly raised his head, a lump forming on his forehead, his mouth full of blood.
Yang Bo looked dejected, “That bastard Deng Ligang bit his tongue this time. It took four stitches. Who knows what trick he’ll pull next?”
I said, “I’ll go talk to him.”
The interrogation room was about ten square meters, with a faint smell of rust. On the wall hung a “Notice of Rights and Obligations for Criminal Suspects.”
Deng Ligang sat straight at the interrogation table, handcuffed and shackled. Seeing me enter, he immediately relaxed, leaning back in his chair.
He said, “Of all these people, I admire you the most.”
“Well, you’ve certainly picked the right person to admire,” I replied, playing along.
I asked the guard to remove his handcuffs. Placing some sausages and smoked chicken on the table, I said, “The most authentic from Xuecheng. Eat up.”
Deng Ligang tore open the packaging and took a bite, closing his eyes in bliss.
“Damn, it’s soul-stirring,” he muttered.
“Tastes like childhood, doesn’t it?” I asked.
He replied, “I was born and raised in the gutter. Never had the chance to eat stuff like this.”
I asked, “What did your father do?”
“Boiler worker. Thirty-two yuan and fifty cents a month, supporting our family of four. He lived a miserable life and liked to drink. When drunk, he’d beat my mother or my brother and me. I hated him, swore I’d fight back one day.”
I peeled peanuts as I listened intently.
“I stole money and ran to Wutai Mountain to learn martial arts. Before I could master it, my father died of illness. Never got my revenge.”
I asked, “What illness?”
“Liver cancer.”
“How old were you then?”
Deng Ligang thought for a moment, “Eleven or twelve, I guess.”
He skillfully dismembered the chicken and ate it with relish.
“Have you studied human anatomy?” I asked.
Chewing on a chicken leg, Deng Ligang said, “Why study that? You learn by doing. Why do you ask?”
“Just curious!”
“You’re something else. You’ve been gnawing at that Biishui Garden case for ten years.”
“Was that the only case you did?” I probed.
Deng Ligang removed a piece of chicken cartilage from his mouth and placed it on the table.
“You think that case is solid?” he asked.
I said, “The fingerprints you left on the wall are irrefutable evidence.”
Deng Ligang stopped eating and looked at me softly as if gazing at his brother.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked.
“We’re evenly matched. I know what you’re trying to do.”
“Tell me, what am I trying to do?”
“Seemingly casual chat, but surrounding the city to strike at reinforcements.”
I smiled at him, and he said, “You’ve been studying me for ten years. Even if I were a lump of pig iron, you’d have ground me down to a thin sheet by now. What don’t you know?”
I said, “Even if you’re a dry well, I still have to jump in and feel around, don’t I? Besides, you’ve spent your whole life flipping other people’s biscuits and pulling up their bridges. You won’t shit until it reaches your asshole.”
Deng Ligang chuckled, wiping his greasy hands on his clothes.
“I see, you’re playing blind chess with me? Alright, you make the first move, advance your pawn,” he said.
I said, “In 1993, you were driving a taxi. You hit a female passenger. That was your first kill.”
Deng Ligang’s smile vanished. “That blabbermouth Ji Dashun, to live thirty more seconds, he’d sell his parents’ organs piece by piece at a premium.”
I continued, “I’ve been sifting through your cases for ten years, and I’ve got nothing but solid evidence. Your crime spree spans Guangdong, Hunan, Fujian, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Tianjin, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, and other places. Am I right?”
Deng Ligang picked up a chicken foot and started gnawing on it.
“You targeted prostitutes because they’re mobile, discreet, and often use fake names. No names, no identities, less trouble to investigate. You’d kidnap two at a time for efficiency and quick money. You chose non-locals to avoid detection. Pretty ones, because they earned more. After the kidnapping, you’d have them call home but give a false location – saying they’re in Shenyang when actually in Tianjin. Meticulously planned, seemingly flawless.”
Deng Ligang put down the chicken foot and stared at me silently. I dropped my smile and gazed at him intently. The interrogation room fell silent.
I lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. Deng Ligang’s gaze changed slightly. I removed the cigarette from my mouth, flipped it, and put it in his mouth. Deng Ligang inhaled deeply. The ash grew long and fell onto the table in front of him. He smoked it down to the filter.
Deng Ligang said, “I’ll say it again, of all the people who caught me, I respect you the most.”
“Is that how you show respect?” I asked.
“Let me be honest, brother, and you give me one honest answer too.”
“Go ahead.”
“Did you find the breakthrough from my brother’s medical treatment?”
I nodded.
Deng Ligang sighed, “That’s fate! I repeatedly warned him not to return to Xuecheng, but he snuck back. I was so angry I broke his arm.”
I said, “Your entire plan was nearly flawless, but there’s always a loose thread. You created a new identity for your mother, but kept the name Zhang Ciyun unchanged, only altering her height and age. I found that odd. It doesn’t seem like an oversight you’d make.”
Mentioning his mother and brother softened Deng Ligang.
He said, “My mother is ill and forgetful. She wouldn’t remember a new name. If she got lost outside, it would cause more problems.”
The interrogation room fell silent. I stared at him, waiting to see his next move in this chess game.
Deng Ligang pressed his lips together, refusing to speak. I didn’t ask anything more. He was sweating profusely, and I was anxious, sweat dripping from my fingertips.
Finally, Deng Ligang spoke, “Arrogance brings no good, a mad dog gets hit with bricks. I just love challenging myself. But now I’ve reached the end of the road. There’s no hardship I can’t endure, no difficulty I can’t overcome. Except for one thing – my son.”
He looked up at me and said, “Please don’t tell my son about what I’ve done.”
This concern of Deng Ligang’s was unexpected.
“Why?” I asked.
He said, “I’m afraid my son won’t be able to hold his head high when he grows up.”
I said, “He’s only three or four now. By the time he’s an adult, decades will have passed. How could you possibly keep it secret? If you knew this day would come, why did you do it in the first place?”
Deng Ligang said, “I never planned on being a father. The child came suddenly, and I had to accept him with both hands. Song Hongyu’s narrow pelvis meant she could only be a mother once, and I took advantage of that. She’s been dragged down by me, never involved in our activities, completely unaware.”
I smiled, “The person who caught your wife was the girl she nearly killed. That woman called Qiu Feng is still alive too. How could Song Hongyu possibly be unaware of your crimes?”
Deng Ligang lowered his gaze. When he looked up again, there were tears in his eyes.
He said, “You know, a person only realizes on their deathbed that one lifetime isn’t enough.”
I said, “Our country’s law demands a life for a life. You’ve killed so many people, and accumulated so much blood debt, that you’re already past the point of no return. I can’t influence your sentencing, but I can help with your family matters. Your mother’s medical care, elderly care, funeral arrangements, your child’s upbringing – whatever I can do within my power, I’ll help. Tell me, what’s your greatest wish right now?”
Deng Ligang said softly, “I want to see my son.”
I immediately called Qiao Zhi at the Suilu City Security Bureau, asking him to go to the nursery and take a photo of Deng Ligang’s son with his phone. The photo arrived quickly, showing a little boy sitting alone on a swing, his big eyes staring at the camera.
I printed the photo and handed it to Deng Ligang.
I said, “I authorize you to take this photo with you to the detention center.”
Deng Ligang took the photo, and emotions welled up inside him. Tears streamed down his face, dropping onto the photo. He hurriedly wiped it clean with his sleeve, only for another wave of tears to fall. Deng Ligang broke down completely. I handed him tissues one after another. The used tissues piled up on the table like white paper flowers. After crying himself out, Deng Ligang gradually calmed down.
“What do you want to know? Ask,” he said.
Just as I felt relieved, he quickly added, “Brother, I respect you. We can talk about anything, but no video recording, no written record.”
I agreed to his conditions.
Deng Ligang wiped his tears and rubbed his face with both hands, saying, “I’ve never felt this bad in my entire life. Emotions were always just shit to me, but now that shit has torn my guts apart.”
“I have a son too. I understand,” I said.
Deng Ligang continued, “After my father died, my mother wanted me to go back to school. But I had a bad temper. I was expelled for severely injuring someone in a fight. After that, I started drifting through society. My mother’s health was poor, so I took on the burden of supporting the family. I had no capital for business, so I got a third-hand car and started doing illegal jobs. That incident in 1993 was purely accidental.”
“This woman hired my car to go to Caoying. I said the meter wouldn’t work for such a long distance. She said it was only fifteen li, twenty yuan at most. I told her the road ahead at Changqiao was under repair and we’d have to detour. She thought I was lying and insisted on going through Changqiao. When we got there and saw the roadblock, she finally believed me. She kept saying it was bad luck. I said, ‘You were afraid I’d take you on a detour, but now we have to turn back, it’s an even longer detour.’ She said it was at most three li more.
Three li? It was more than eight! She accused me of extorting her. I immediately stopped the car and told her to get out. I left her by the roadside and drove off. This woman had an even worse temper than me and chased after the car, cursing me. While cursing, she brought my mother into it. I couldn’t control my anger anymore. I drove halfway, then turned back to chase her. The woman knew something was wrong and started running.
The more she ran, the angrier I got. I hit her with the car. The woman was stubborn and kept cursing even as she lay on the ground. I grabbed her purse and took money from her wallet. With her face covered in blood, she finally softened and begged me to take her to the hospital. I said, ‘I hit you because of your foul mouth. Now we’re even, neither of us owes the other anything. If you’re lucky, you’ll crawl back. If not, dig a hole right here and bury yourself.’ The woman begged again, saying there was money in her card and she’d give me the PIN if I’d take her to the hospital and spare her life.
I stuffed a glove in her mouth and put her in the trunk. I withdrew money from ATMs three times, then switched to another ATM and emptied the card. When I drove to a secluded place and opened the trunk, the woman was already dead. I was stunned and didn’t know what to do. I returned to my rented room late at night, carried the woman inside, and dismembered her. I instinctively knew how to cut up a body. I cut her into twenty pieces, packed them in garbage bags, and drove 200 kilometers that night, dumping the bags one by one in remote mountains and wilderness along the way.”
I said, “A herb gatherer found and reported it. Someone said she had been in your car. You fled Xuecheng, stole Li Jianfeng’s identity card, and only then dared to return.”
Deng Ligang sighed, “The first time is always the hardest. Once you’ve done it, you realize it’s not that difficult. Later, with accomplices, it became even easier. Wherever we planned to go, we’d send a meat grinder ahead. I used to be a fitter in a factory and knew mechanical repairs. Ji Dashun was an electrician. We both had skills. We’d always rent in high-end communities, high-rise apartments with bathtubs, three bedrooms, and a living room. We focused on packaging ourselves, dressing up as big bosses. Gold watches, gold necklaces, briefcases – we could fool anyone.”
I watched him silently.
Deng Ligang said, “Don’t look at me like that. I’ve been mentally prepared for this. It’s just death, isn’t it? If they had caught me in ’93, it would have been a death sentence. Now it’s 2011. I’ve lived 18 extra years in this world. I’ve won! If I could have whitewashed my identity one more time, you wouldn’t have even found my shadow.”
I asked, “How would you have done that?”
“I would have killed my wife and child then.”
His tone was so calm that it sent chills down my spine.
He continued, “I’d push my son off the building, kill Song Hongyu, Shi Bi, and Ji Dashun. That way, I’d be completely safe.”
Deng Ligang paused for a moment, then gave a bitter smile, “Death is death. I’ve lived long enough. When arguing with my wife and father-in-law, I even thought about jumping off the building.”
I asked, “Why didn’t you?”
Deng Ligang replied, “I have a principle: I’d rather be a criminal than a victim. I’m not afraid of death. The good thing about lying in a grave is that you don’t have to fear aging day by day, don’t have to fear illness, don’t have to struggle to remember how many strokes are in the character for ‘fear’.”
I asked, “Do you think you’ll have a grave?”
Deng Ligang lowered his eyelids for a moment, then looked at me again.
He said, “Brother, you play a ruthless game of chess. Each of your moves hides a dagger. If I’m not careful, you’ll slit my throat.”
Interrogating Shi Bi wasn’t difficult. He was the most educated in Deng Ligang’s gang. I asked him how he ended up on the path of crime.
He said, “My father died when I was in high school, and my mother remarried. My stepfather didn’t like me, and I always felt like an outsider. I was smart and always did well in school. After university, I was assigned to a factory as an assistant engineer. I didn’t like the job and often skipped work. My mother fell ill and urgently needed money. I stole cables from the factory to sell and got fired. I started dabbling in business. After making some money, I got married. My wife was first-rate in looks and figure. She encouraged me to take out a loan to buy a car and resell beer. All the money we earned ended up in her hands. I was always on the road, and my wife had an affair. After she cheated on me, she asked for a divorce and took all our money.”
At this point, he fell silent. I watched him, waiting for him to continue.
He said, “Those were the lowest years of my life. When I was destitute, Deng Ligang reached out and helped me. The first time I went out with him to kidnap someone, I was terrified. We got 50,000 yuan that time. It gave me a taste for it. After that, it became easier.”
I asked him, “Didn’t you feel guilty about killing people?”
Shi Bi said, “Of course, but I suppressed it as soon as it surfaced. The first kill shook me. The second was a bit easier. Later, I became more and more numb. I never counted exactly how many people I killed. If you think of yourself as a beast, you forget the pain of being human. I often had nightmares, my heart would race at the sight of police or police cars. I thought about quitting, but the money I got was quickly spent. When I had no money, Deng Ligang would generously give me some. I stayed with him until the end out of a sense of gratitude.”
I said, “I’ve heard that after your arrest, no one from your family came to see you or put money in your account. Deng Ligang put his own money in your account for you to use freely.”
“He’s been very good to me,” Shi Bi said.
“To thank him, you’ve taken the blame for a lot of things?”
“I did kill all those people. He just came to the scene to help me dispose of the bodies.”
I smiled, “Your loyalty is pointless. One case is enough to execute him, not to mention all the others you’re trying to cover up for him.”
Shi Bi fell silent.
I said, “After your arrest, Feng Shuanghuan quickly sold the shop. No one knows where she went with the child.”
Shi Bi sighed, “You can’t take anything with you, only your sins follow you. If I could find one right thing among countless wrongs, it’s that I didn’t start another family or have descendants. I have no attachments when I die. Feng Shuanghuan is the only woman in the world who was truly sincere to me. I’m grateful to her. Whatever she does to me, I won’t blame her.”
I asked him, “Do you think Deng Ligang will stay loyal to you till the end?”
Shi Bi shook his head, “In the years after we whitewashed our identities, I always felt he might kill me. I was constantly on guard. I was afraid of him in my heart but didn’t dare to part ways with him. I admit, in this world, only he and I are the same kind of person. He can see through me, and I can see through him. Because we see through each other, we can’t stay together. The more I’m alone, the more I struggle with myself. Sometimes I even have crazy thoughts.”
Peng Zhaolin asked, “What thoughts?”
Shi Bi replied, “Killing is simple. It’s bearing it all and living that’s difficult. I wanted to end myself, but couldn’t bring myself to do it several times. After coming to Suilu, I ate desperately and slept like crazy, hoping to become so fat that no one would recognize me. But even heaven wouldn’t help me with that. As fat as I’ve become, you still recognized me.”
I said, “They say there are gods three feet above your head. Heaven is fair.”
Shi Bi sighed and looked up at me, “I accept my fate. I have to accept my fate. I committed ten crimes in total, killing two people each time. I participated in the killing of twenty people.”
He looked up at me, “Let me ask you one last question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Did you find my driver’s license hidden in the gap of the cabinet in Biishui Garden?”
I nodded.
Shi Bi said, “I never dared to mention hiding the driver’s license. If Deng Ligang knew, he would have killed me immediately.”
In prison, Shi Bi ate and slept well, growing even fatter. He said when he was asleep, he didn’t think about dying anymore.
Ji Dashun’s situation was dire. His lung cancer had metastasized to his lymph nodes, entering the terminal stage. He was quite satisfied with his current state, knowing he wouldn’t have to wait for the verdict. He’d soon be kicking the bucket and reporting to the King of Hell.
I granted his request to see his wife and child one last time. His wife and 17-year-old son stood by his hospital bed. Ji Dashun struggled to sit up.
Ji Dashun’s wife wept uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face. “Look at you, neither human nor ghost. What are you after? You’ve abandoned your family and child. All these years, while you’ve been out there, have you ever thought about us?”
Ji Dashun nodded, then shook his head. His gaze lingered on his son’s face.
“I expected your mother to come, but I didn’t expect you,” Ji Dashun said.
The son, eyes downcast, mumbled, “Mom forced me to come.”
“Do you remember when I called you on your seventh birthday? Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, and I haven’t fulfilled any of my responsibilities as a father. I’ve let you down. Can you forgive me?” Ji Dashun asked.
The son turned his gaze away, speaking calmly, “My mom raised me alone for ten years. I won’t mention the hardships we faced. Just as our lives were improving, suddenly a father appeared, one who’d committed heinous crimes. My feelings for you can be summed up in one word: hate!”
Ji Dashun nodded, “I understand. I have a terminal illness and don’t have much time left. I’m satisfied that you’ve allowed me to see you one last time.”
Ji Dashun’s wife left crying, pulling their son along. Ji Dashun leaned back on the bed, breathing heavily. I entered and adjusted his pillow to make him more comfortable.
“You’ve granted my request, so I’ll grant yours,” Ji Dashun said.
He began recounting his escape to Suilu: “After we all assumed new identities in Suilu, Deng Ligang set an iron-clad rule: we’d claim to be cousins in public, but privately, we wouldn’t meet, contact, or communicate with each other. Under no circumstances could anyone return to Xuecheng or establish contact with anyone there. I once considered leaving Deng Ligang and returning to Xuecheng. He saw through my intentions.
During a trip back to Xuecheng to fetch his mother and brother, he found my wife and child. He placed a stack of money before my wife, saying, ‘Sister-in-law, I came back in a hurry and couldn’t prepare gifts. Here’s 5,000 yuan for my nephew to buy some necessities.’ My wife was so grateful she nearly cried. She asked about me, and Deng Ligang said I was fine. He called me, letting us talk briefly. My wife asked why I couldn’t come back when others could, questioning if I still cared about them.
I realized the situation wasn’t simple. I asked my wife to prepare dinner, then questioned Deng Ligang about his sudden return. He said he was checking on my family because I was homesick. Once my wife and son left, he lowered his voice and threatened, ‘If you die, die out there. If you think about coming back again, I’ll kill your wife and child.’ After that, I never mentioned returning to Xuecheng again.”
A nurse entered to change the IV bag. Ji Dashun watched the liquid drip slowly.
Suddenly, he smiled, “I’ve lived a fulfilling life, never lacking in money or women. Now that I have a terminal illness, I won’t live to see my execution date. The King of Hell has summoned me, but at least I’ll die naturally.”
Ji Dashun held up two fingers, “The doctor says I have two months at most.”
He sighed, “As long as Deng Ligang is alive, I’ll always be on edge. He’s ruthless and unpredictable. If you cross him, he won’t show it on his face. Just when you think you’re safe, he’ll strike. For over a decade, I’ve been constantly tense around him. Just as I was about to snap, you arrested us. A blessing in disguise. While I still have breath, ask me anything. I’ll confess to everything I’ve done.”
Before Song Hongyu joined, Ji Dashun was responsible for luring people back. In Yantai, he brought back a madam named Ji Ya.
Ji Ya lay bound with tape on the floor, her messy hair covering her face. Deng Ligang yanked her up by her hair. As she shook her hair aside, a fair face was revealed. Ji Dashun’s eyes fixed on her, his gaze intensifying. He nudged Shi Bi, who ignored him and went to the kitchen. Ji Dashun followed.
Shi Bi boiled water for noodles while Ji Dashun watched.
“I didn’t realize how beautiful she was when we captured her. She’s truly captivating,” Ji Dashun said.
“So what if she’s captivating?” Shi Bi barely glanced up.
Ji Dashun retorted, “You’ve been cuckolded so much you can’t appreciate a beautiful woman.”
Shi Bi ignored him, ladling the cooked noodles into bowls and topping them with meat sauce.
“Help me find a way to keep her,” Ji Dashun pleaded.
Shi Bi looked at him but remained silent.
“Say something,” Ji Dashun urged.
“Even if I could produce gold, you’d have to let me squat for a while,” Shi Bi replied.
Ji Dashun conceded, “Fine, pretend the kitchen is a latrine and squat all you want.”
Shi Bi carried two bowls of noodles out, with Ji Dashun following with the remaining bowl.
Deng Ligang, Shi Bi, and Ji Dashun sat on the sofa eating. Ji Dashun’s gaze frequently drifted to Ji Ya.
Deng Ligang addressed Ji Ya while eating, “I know your industry is lucrative.”
Ji Ya, head lowered, replied, “The money in my account is all I have. It’s my entire fortune.”
“How much?” Deng Ligang asked.
“500,000 yuan. I’ll give you the password. Take the money and let me go. I’ll return to my hometown and never come out again,” Ji Ya pleaded.
“You’d surely report us to the police once you lose 500,000 yuan,” Deng Ligang said skeptically.
Ji Ya swore, “If I report you, you can kill me.”
Deng Ligang nodded, “Good reminder. We have your ID, so you’re easy to find.”
“My brother is ruthless. When he spits, it leaves a crater,” Ji Dashun added, fanning the flames.
Ji Ya nodded repeatedly, “I understand. I definitely won’t report you. It wouldn’t benefit me at all.”
Deng Ligang tossed her paper and a pen to write down the password.
Ji Ya complied.
Deng Ligang instructed Ji Dashun, “Withdraw the money gradually. Follow the usual rules, don’t use the same location.”
Ji Dashun retrieved the money and handed it to Deng Ligang, who counted it at the dining table. Meanwhile, Ji Dashun and Ji Ya were intimate in the bedroom. Shi Bi knocked on the door, reminding him, “Hey, that’s enough.”
Ji Dashun quickly dressed and retied Ji Ya. Using the pretext of withdrawing money, he secretly bought cakes and bread for Ji Ya.
“Once the money’s withdrawn, we’ll let you go home,” he reassured her.
Ji Ya glanced fearfully at the door.
“We share the same surname. I promise you’ll walk out that door if you listen to me,” Ji Dashun said.
Ji Ya nodded vigorously.
Ji Dashun broke off pieces of cake and fed her.
“Eat quickly, don’t let those two see,” he warned.
Ji Ya teared up, “I know you’re kind to me.”
“Don’t turn your back on me once you’re out,” he cautioned.
“I won’t! Absolutely not!” she insisted.
Ji Dashun whispered in her ear, “If I ask to meet you after you’re free, would you dare?”
Ji Ya eagerly agreed, “Yes, I’ll meet you.”
Ji Dashun found an opportunity to plead with Deng Ligang.
Deng Ligang mocked him, “Look at you, drooling like a dog seeing a bone when you see a pretty woman.”
Shi Bi warned Ji Dashun, “Beautiful women are dangerous. If you still pursue her, it’s not just dangerous, it’s lethal.”
Deng Ligang added, “Shi Bi is educated, he knows better than you.”
“He’s been cheated on, so he thinks all women should die. We’ve got our 500,000 yuan, let’s just release her,” Ji Dashun argued.
Deng Ligang, in a good mood, conceded, “I’ll do you a favor. Blindfold her, take her far away, and dump her. Her fate is her own after that.”
Ji Dashun beamed, “Good, good.”
“This isn’t your job, Shi Bi. You handle it,” Deng Ligang ordered.