Chapter 65: An Adventurous Plan

"Bait?" When Qin Ruonan heard the word, she was taken aback. She glanced at the boy standing beside Zhong Han, momentarily forgetting to even acknowledge the hand Zhong Han had extended toward her. "What do you mean?"

"I've stated it quite plainly. Surely you don't need me to explain the meaning word for word?" Zhong Han countered. His tone lacked any real impatience; as he faced Qin Ruonan's furrowed brow, he merely offered a casual smile.

The boy standing beside him showed no sign of intimidation in the police station environment. His bright, dark eyes darted around, taking in everything, and he gave Qin Ruonan a thorough once-over from head to toe.

"Big brother, is she the woman you were telling me about?" he asked, suddenly turning to Zhong Han after finishing his appraisal of Qin Ruonan.

Zhong Han acted as if Qin Ruonan were not the subject of their conversation, but rather a mere houseplant in the office. He nodded at the boy. "Yes, that's her."

"Oh," the boy said, sounding a bit disappointed. "I don't see what's so interesting about her."

"That's because you aren't old enough yet to discover what makes someone interesting. You're still too green."

"Pfft!" The boy rolled his eyes, giving Zhong Han a look of disdain.

If Qin Ruonan hadn't realized that the "interesting woman" these two were discussing was her, she would have been truly oblivious. However, the feeling of being the subject of their conversation while being simultaneously excluded from it was bizarre. It made her uncomfortable, and she didn't like it.

"Can you explain what this 'bait' business is all about?" Qin Ruonan's patience was wearing thin. She cleared her throat, set her face, and demanded that Zhong Han explain the matter clearly. In truth, she had held out this long only because she knew An Changpu was close with this disagreeable Zhong Han, and she wanted to save face for An Changpu. Otherwise, given her impression of Zhong Han, she would have lashed out the moment they began discussing her as if she weren't even there.

Before Zhong Han could answer, An Changpu happened to push the door open at that exact moment. He looked surprised to see Zhong Han; after all, it had only been a day since their last meeting, and it was currently work hours. If the previous time was Zhong Han making a surprise appearance, surely he couldn't be here specifically to catch up at such an inconvenient time?

What's more, he had brought a boy along.

An Changpu's gaze fell on the youth beside Zhong Han. The boy was scrutinizing him in return. The boy’s features bore a slight resemblance to Zhong Han's, and whether due to his age or inherent nature, his eyes held a touch of mischief, yet he also seemed far more mature than his peers.

"Changpu, you're here!" Zhong Han smiled and nodded at An Changpu, pushing the boy a half-step forward. "This is my cousin. You can call him Xiao Tian. He is here voluntarily—absolutely voluntarily—to help you out by acting as bait."

As if to echo his words, the boy nodded vigorously with a gravity that belied his years.

"Wait, hold on. It's early in the morning, and my head is still trying to catch up. What bait? What's going on?" An Changpu was utterly confused. He looked at Zhong Han, then at the visibly annoyed Qin Ruonan standing behind him, hoping she could provide an answer, as he had assumed she was in the loop when he walked in.

Qin Ruonan shook her head and spread her hands, signaling that she was equally in the dark. At the same time, she felt a slight sense of relief; An Changpu's arrival meant she didn't have to force herself to suppress her irritation while dealing with a man she didn't care for.

"It's like this. I had nothing to do at home yesterday, so I read several news reports on the series of cases you're investigating. It looks like you're playing a game of hide-and-seek with the killer in a hall of mirrors."

"A hall of mirrors? Hide-and-seek?" An Changpu found the analogy unfamiliar.

"Exactly. What you see might be the person himself, or it might just be a repeated reflection. You have plenty of fragmented clues, but no way to consolidate them into a solid direction, let alone evidence sufficient for a conviction."

After hearing the explanation for the "hide-and-seek in a hall of mirrors," An Changpu felt it was quite apt. "You know, you hit the nail on the head."

"It's not guessing, it's analysis." Zhong Han tapped his temple, looking slightly smug.

"So? What about the bait?" Even though the analysis was clear, An Changpu still didn't understand the deal with the child called Xiao Tian whom Zhong Han had brought along as bait.

"It's simple. Sometimes, to crack a case and catch the mastermind, chasing them around like a cat and mouse isn't enough. If you're not careful and you lose the trail or head in the wrong direction, you end up exhausted with nothing to show for it. You should consider fishing. Wait for the fish to take the bait, and you just need to reel it in." Zhong Han pointed to his cousin. "Xiao Tian is the bait I've found for you."

"You mean..." An Changpu understood his intent, and immediately shook his head, rejecting the idea. "No, Zhong Han. We appreciate your desire to help, but I cannot agree to this. It's too dangerous. We can't drag an innocent child into this."

"You, of all people—in a situation like this, shouldn't you consult your partner first, if only out of gentlemanly conduct or to uphold some democratic spirit?" Zhong Han gestured toward Qin Ruonan, who had remained silent.

"No need," Qin Ruonan replied herself. "There's nothing to discuss. I agree with An Changpu. This method is far too risky."

"I agree to it! The more exciting, the better! I'm tired of being bored!" Xiao Tian interjected.

"How old are you?" Qin Ruonan leaned forward slightly, looking the boy in the eye.

"Twelve. No, twelve and three-quarters! I'll be thirteen in less than three months. If you count by lunar age, I'm almost fourteen. What's the problem?" Xiao Tian retorted, acting like a little adult.

"The problem is significant. You are a minor, a person with limited capacity for civil conduct under the age of sixteen. You have no authority to decide on such dangerous matters unless your legal guardians agree." Qin Ruonan looked up at Zhong Han. "Clearly, your cousin is not your legal guardian."

"Big brother, I don't think you're right. This woman isn't interesting at all," Xiao Tian said, glaring at Qin Ruonan with dissatisfaction.

"What's this about 'interesting' or not?" An Changpu looked from Zhong Han to Xiao Tian, asking suspiciously, "What are you two talking about?"

"Ahem, don't ask! That has nothing to do with the case you're investigating. We can talk about that later." Caught off guard by his cousin’s remark and An Changpu’s follow-up, Zhong Han felt a bit awkward. He brushed it off and immediately changed the subject. "If I can guarantee Xiao Tian's safety, will you accept the proposal?"

"No, not unless his parents agree to your plan," Qin Ruonan replied firmly.

"Are you kidding? If my parents agreed to this, it would be a miracle!" Xiao Tian muttered in frustration; he clearly viewed Zhong Han's plan as a thrilling game, and the prospect of it falling through was a great disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Zhong Han. We appreciate your intent, but without the consent of his parents, we really cannot take this risk. You know that two boys have already gone missing, and the pressure to solve the case is immense. If we let another child be put in danger because of this 'bait' at such a critical time, the responsibility would be too great for us to bear," An Changpu added, firmly rejecting the idea.

"How about this? I'll take responsibility for convincing Xiao Tian's parents—my aunt and uncle—but at least listen to my idea first. I guarantee that I won't take any risks without permission. After all, Xiao Tian is my cousin; I wouldn't push him into a fire pit, would I?" Zhong Han persisted.

An Changpu hesitated, frowning in thought for a moment, before turning to Qin Ruonan. "I think we should at least hear out Zhong Han's plan. If it's feasible and Xiao Tian's parents truly agree, perhaps it could help..."

Qin Ruonan looked at An Changpu, frowning with reluctance. She didn't persist in her opposition, though her instinct remained that the plan was far too reckless and the stakes too high. However, she understood why An Changpu had softened his stance after hearing Zhong Han's promise not to act without parental consent. Fang Wan had been missing for quite some time, and with the addition of You Xiaoyang, the severity of the situation had grown. While public attention had initially been low, media outlets had begun to dig up the connections—that the missing victims were all boys—leading to growing panic and public discourse.

Furthermore, the connection between these cases and the three similar ones from eight and two years ago was still internal information, which made them even more acutely aware of the gravity of the case and the threat it posed to society. Solving it as quickly as possible, for both public and private reasons, was paramount.

"Fine. Tell us your plan then," Qin Ruonan finally said with a soft sigh, her tone cold toward Zhong Han.