There is a peculiar characteristic about meetings in Huaxia: the larger the gathering, the fiercer the debates, and the more elusive any conclusion becomes.
The matter of how to handle Chen Yi's case was no exception. In the end, no definitive resolution was reached. It was merely decided that a formal statement needed to be taken from him. Although the sequence of events had already been clarified through Luo Yan and confirmed via a phone call between the city bureau and "Provincial Bureau Comrade" Geng Bo, the procedural formalities still had to be observed.
Originally, the case should have been handled by Luo Yan. However, due to her personal relationship with Chen Yi and the case already nearing its conclusion, Liu Siming, the director of the city public security bureau, assigned Ning Fangming to "assist" Luo Yan.
"Captain Luo, rest assured, I will strictly adhere to the rules. I won't wrong your little lover," Ning Fangming remarked after the meeting, his words dripping with mockery as his smile failed to reach his eyes.
"Deputy Ning, I suggest you mind your words and remember your position. The power you hold is meant to serve the people, not to be wielded for petty rivalries," Luo Yan retorted coldly, her expression icy. Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Ning Fangming to stew in his embarrassment.
The rivalry between Ning Fangming and Luo Yan was no secret within the bureau. Recently, Ning Fangming's cases had been progressing poorly, while Luo Yan had been solving major cases one after another. The "missing girls case," which had originally been assigned to Ning Fangming, was only transferred to Luo Yan after months of fruitless investigation, which had angered Liu Siming.
For a man like Ning Fangming, being repeatedly outshone by a woman was as unbearable as swallowing a dead fly. When the case was handed over, he deliberately withheld key leads, hoping to watch Luo Yan struggle.
After all, he'd been a police officer for nearly a decade and couldn't crack the case. How could someone with only three or four years of experience possibly do better?
But the outcome left him dumbfounded. Luo Yan solved the case in just a few days, locating the victims' bodies and even successfully rescuing the last missing girl.
It was a resounding slap in the face, loud and humiliating.
Currently, there was a vacant deputy director position in the bureau, and it was widely speculated that the choice would come down to either him or Luo Yan. On paper, Ning Fangming had the upper hand in terms of experience, qualifications, and relationships with superiors.
However, rumors had recently reached his ears that higher authorities were reconsidering the candidate for the position. They were even planning to promote Luo Yan as an exemplary figure to be showcased across the province's public security system.
This could only mean one thing: Luo Yan was poised for a promotion.
With only one vacancy in the bureau, Luo Yan's ascent would snatch away what Ning Fangming believed to be his rightful position.
How could he remain calm? How could he stand idly by?
Ning Fangming was well aware that Luo Yan's recent successes were largely due to Chen Yi. The rumor mill within the bureau was abuzz with talk of Captain Luo's "May-December romance" with a young "mystic" boyfriend. This boyfriend of hers was said to possess extraordinary abilities—able to solve any case with just a pinch of his fingers, as if by divine intervention.
While Luo Yan reaped the rewards, her subordinates basked in the reflected glory, strutting around the bureau with an air of arrogance.
This left Ning Fangming's team green with envy. Some of his officers even began scheming to transfer to Luo Yan's department, hoping to ride her coattails. Even if they played no significant role in solving cases, being part of a successful team would at least earn them collective honors to bolster their résumés—an invaluable asset for future promotions and transfers.
Not only had Luo Yan humiliated him, but now she was poaching his people.
And the root of it all was Chen Yi.
During the "car accident" incident, Ning Fangming had tried to use the opportunity to imprison Chen Yi for months, if not years, thereby cutting off Luo Yan's support. But Chen Yi had proven too cunning, leaving him with no way to proceed. The situation had only grown more complicated with the bizarre self-combustion of a corpse, forcing him to abandon his plans.
Who could have predicted that, mere hours after walking out of the police station, Chen Yi would stir up an even greater commotion, catapulting Luo Yan into the spotlight of provincial leadership?
With that, Ning Fangming had suffered a crushing defeat, unable to compete with a woman nearly eight years his junior. To make matters worse, several of his subordinates had already resolved to "defect" to Luo Yan's camp.
Leadership, after all, is about guiding and inspiring others, not micromanaging every detail. If his team members were flocking to Luo Yan, what did that say about him? It painted a picture of poor leadership, of being inferior to Luo Yan. Otherwise, why would his people abandon him?
Losing to Luo Yan was bad enough. To also bear the stigma of ineffective leadership was a humiliation Ning Fangming could hardly stomach.
And the culprit behind it all was none other than Chen Yi.
Now, however, fate seemed to have smiled upon him. Chen Yi had caused a major incident, and if Ning Fangming could seize this opportunity to cut off Luo Yan's support, he could stabilize his team and tarnish Luo Yan's reputation.
If her boyfriend were sentenced to a heavy penalty for this case, would the provincial authorities still consider her a shining example?
To Ning Fangming, Chen Yi was the key piece on the chessboard—the one that could topple an entire dragon.
When Ning Fangming, Luo Yan, and a few others arrived at the hospital's intensive care ward, they found Han Wenxue tidying up the dishes while Chen Yi, now awake, appeared to be in good spirits.
In the past, Ning Fangming had wished for nothing more than Chen Yi's immediate demise. The fact that he had survived the car accident had already left Ning Fangming frustrated. Now, his greatest fear was that Chen Yi might suddenly succumb to his injuries.
As long as Chen Yi lived, there was a chance to convict him. If he died, however, all hope of salvaging the deputy director position would be lost.
"Luo Yan, you're here. Chen Yi just woke up and was asking about you earlier," Han Wenxue said warmly. Her gratitude toward Luo Yan had dissolved her previous reservations, and she now greeted her with ease.
Ning Fangming's heart leapt with joy, but he maintained a neutral expression, even forcing a cordial smile. "How's Chen Yi's recovery? From what I've heard, the attending physician is one of the most renowned in the entire East China region. There shouldn't be any issues."
Han Wenxue replied, "Chen Yi's recovery has been excellent. The doctor just examined him and said he's doing much better than expected."
Hearing this, Ning Fangming finally relaxed. At least Chen Yi wasn't on the verge of a sudden relapse. He then said, "You can leave us now. We have some questions for Chen Yi."
Though reluctant to leave, Han Wenxue knew she couldn't interfere with police matters. She cast a wistful glance at Chen Yi before stepping out of the room to wait in the spot where she had kept vigil for the past few days.
"Given your special relationship with Chen Yi, shouldn't you also step aside?" Ning Fangming said to Luo Yan after dismissing Han Wenxue. He couldn't allow her to stay; her presence would hinder his methods.
"Deputy Ning, aren't you overstepping? Director Liu assigned you to assist me, not take full charge," Luo Yan retorted, visibly displeased.
Ning Fangming, having anticipated her reaction, remained unfazed. "Director Liu may not have given me full authority, but as a police officer, I must act with initiative. Moreover, the regulations are clear: given your romantic involvement with Chen Yi, you should recuse yourself to avoid any conflict of interest. Surely you understand such basic principles without needing Director Liu to spell them out?"
Luo Yan knew Ning Fangming's intentions were far from honorable, but his reasoning left her with no grounds to argue. Frustrated, she stormed out of the room.
With Luo Yan gone, Ning Fangming's mood brightened considerably. He ordered his men to guard the door and prevent anyone from entering before turning to Chen Yi.
"Chen Yi, what's your connection to Ai Chu and Feng Kun? How did you come to know them? Tell me everything about your interactions with them," Ning Fangming demanded.
Chen Yi, lying in bed, was momentarily taken aback. He didn't understand Ning Fangming's hostility. "I have no connection to them. They tried to kill me, and I had no choice but to defend myself."
"Ha!" Ning Fangming sneered. "Stop making excuses. The evidence is conclusive. You had a prior conflict with Feng Kun over Han Wenxue, extorted 200,000 yuan from them using underhanded means, and then killed them in a fit of rage. Among the fourteen dead, at least three were deliberately attacked by you and shouldn't have died..."
"Deputy Ning, aren't you being unfair? I helped Luo Yan solve the case, thwarting their plans, and was attacked in retaliation. These injuries are proof of that. Instead of acknowledging my efforts, you're trying to frame me?"
"Frame you?" Ning Fangming smirked coldly. "I've heard of your silver tongue, and now I see it for myself. Why didn't you call the police? Did you think your skills could replace law enforcement?"
"They insisted I come alone, threatening my friends if I didn't. Besides, you've seen what they were capable of—ordinary police officers wouldn't have stood a chance."
"Ridiculous. What could they possibly have that's more dangerous than a gun? You just wanted to play hero."
"I notified Geng Bo in advance, and he's one of yours. How can you say I didn't report it?"
"Geng Bo arrived twenty minutes after you. In that time, you killed them all. If he hadn't intervened, I suspect Feng Kun would be dead too."
...
Two hours later, Chen Yi's face was pale, while Ning Fangming's wasn't much better. Despite his relentless questioning, designed to corner Chen Yi into admitting even the slightest fault, Chen Yi's responses were flawless.
Frustrated, Ning Fangming finally stood up and "accidentally" pressed down on the gunshot wound in Chen Yi's leg.
Before Chen Yi could cry out, another officer clamped a hand over his mouth, muffling his voice entirely.