Chapter 66: An Unexpected Encounter with Mi Tengwu

An Changpu offered Zhong Han a faint smile, the subtext of which was a plea for him not to take Qin Ruonan’s attitude to heart. He had known Zhong Han for a long time; while Zhong was neither uncouth nor ill-mannered, he certainly didn't possess a gentle temperament. Furthermore, Zhong Han had a peculiar quirk: when he felt slighted, he wouldn't lash out or even show the slightest hint of irritation. However, if one were to find themselves inexplicably caught in a miserable trap later on, there was no need to wonder—the mastermind behind it was inevitably Zhong Han.

Of course, the saving grace was that his pranks were rarely malicious, and he seldom felt enough passion to bother with revenge. Most of the time, he simply wore an air of haughty indifference, too lazy to even acknowledge those who failed to pique his interest.

An Changpu’s worry that Zhong Han might be provoked by Qin Ruonan stemmed from his understanding of his partner. Recalling how she had been all spikes and thorns when they first began working together, An knew that while he could tolerate such behavior due to his own personality, if the target were Zhong Han, their conflict would inevitably escalate through a series of retaliatory jabs.

Faced with An Changpu’s unspoken message, Zhong Han offered no response. He glanced at An, then arched an eyebrow at Qin Ruonan with a playful glint in his eyes. He first told Xiao Tian to sit down properly, then began to lay out his plan in a leisurely manner.

In truth, Zhong Han’s plan was not particularly complex. It was essentially to use his young cousin, Xiao Tian, as bait to lure the killer lurking on the internet, waiting for the opportune moment to force the culprit into the open and make an arrest. The condition, of course, was that An Changpu and Qin Ruonan had to seize the window of opportunity to gather enough valid evidence for a conviction, ensuring they wouldn't have to release the tiger back into the wild at the final hour.

"There are so many people playing games online, and so many different types of online games. Why would the killer notice Xiao Tian among the vast sea of gamers?" Qin Ruonan questioned as soon as Zhong finished his initial pitch.

"That’s simple," Zhong Han replied patiently, unfazed. "Since the killer was able to gift game items to You Xiaoyang and that child named Fang Wan, it proves at least two possibilities. One, he happens to be a player of those specific games and has the advantage of accounts and high levels. Two, he deliberately caters to the victims' preferences. You have to realize that in this day and age, there isn't an account that can't be bought with money. He doesn't need to put effort or time into every game; he only needs to lock onto a target and acquire an account for the game that person enjoys. In other words, what we need is for the killer to notice Xiao Tian not as a gamer, but as a 'lost lamb' in real life."

"But how can we make the killer notice and lock onto the real-life Xiao Tian, just as you said?"

"That’s not a difficult question. Sometimes solving a case is like fishing. I’ve already brought you the bait; the next step is for you to determine where the fish might be, and then we cast our hooks in those places!" Zhong Han shrugged, his demeanor as relaxed as if they were discussing a weekend fishing trip.

After hearing this, Qin Ruonan didn't quite know how to react. It was true that if they placed the "bait" in the areas where the "fish" might appear, waited for the bite, and reeled it in, the case would be solved—a simple, clear, and feasible plan! Yet, the crucial question of this brilliant strategy—how to identify the appropriate location to arrange the "bait"—was something this "tactician" hadn't considered at all.

However, she couldn't blame Zhong Han for the lack of detail. After all, he was a bystander; even as a fellow officer from another jurisdiction, he was an outsider to this case. He was merely offering advice because of his friendship with An Changpu while they were struggling. As a lead investigator on the case, what right did she have to criticize someone else for not arranging every single aspect for her?

An Changpu shared the same dilemma. He also felt that Zhong Han had already provided enough help as an outsider. Besides, Xiao Tian’s parents hadn't yet agreed to the plan, so whether it could even be implemented remained an unknown. Such details could be sorted out slowly; there was no need to rush.

However, there was one thing worth clarifying beforehand.

"Xiao Tian, what kind of games do you usually play?" An Changpu asked the boy kindly.

Xiao Tian glared at him, clearly dissatisfied with being treated like a toddler. He puffed out his chest and retorted, "What type do you mean? Single-player or multiplayer? Strategy or simulation? I play a wide variety of games and have a few favorites in each category. Which one do you want to know about?"

An Changpu clicked his tongue in surprise, not expecting this inconspicuous young boy to speak like a veteran gamer.

"Don't underestimate him. Xiao Tian might only be twelve, but he’s already in his second year of middle school," Zhong Han told An.

"I could have skipped a grade to start third year! But my parents insisted that skipping too many grades leads to a weak foundation and wouldn't agree," Xiao Tian sighed with some frustration. "But it's fine. If the coursework weren't so easy, I wouldn't have time to play games anyway."

Zhong Han was amused by his cousin’s boastful tone. He flicked the back of the boy’s head with his finger, though he looked no more modest himself. "Can't help it. Perhaps the word 'genius' runs through our family's bloodline from beginning to end!"

An Changpu looked at the two smug narcissists—one big, one small—and sighed in helpless resignation, not knowing what to say. Qin Ruonan, naturally, dismissed Zhong Han’s remark with contempt and offered no reaction.

With the plan set, the remaining tasks were divided. For Zhong Han, it was to convince Xiao Tian’s parents—his aunt and uncle. For An Changpu and Qin Ruonan, it was to continue their investigation and find the best locations to "cast the bait."

The activity ranges of Fang Wan and You Xiaoyang before they went missing, as well as the places where they were last seen, served as references or potential sites. But nothing was set in stone; who knew if the killer was accustomed to hunting in familiar environments or if he moved from place to place? Therefore, further investigation was essential.

That very day, after their talk with Zhong Han, An Changpu and his team received word that You Xiaoyang’s accordion teacher had recovered from his illness and returned to work. They immediately set off for the Youth Palace.

According to previous information, the teacher’s name was Cong Zhengping. Nearly sixty, he was a highly respected senior instructor at the Youth Palace. When An Changpu and Qin Ruonan arrived, they spotted his photo on the wall of outstanding teachers. He looked quite stern—not the type of person who would be easy for a student to deal with.

"Oh? It's you?" a surprised voice came from behind them.

An Changpu and Qin Ruonan turned to see a fair-skinned man with glasses standing in the lobby, smiling at them.

He looked familiar, but Qin Ruonan couldn't immediately place him. Then, she vaguely recalled his identity, though she wasn't entirely sure.

"You are... Chai Xiu's husband, right?" she asked hesitantly.

The man in glasses nodded, walked over, and shook hands with both of them. "Officer Qin has a great memory. I’m Mi Tengwu, Chai Xiu’s husband."

"Do you work here?" Qin Ruonan had only met Mi Tengwu once and had heard Chai Xiu mention him once. She only knew they had moved to the city due to his job transfer, not that he worked at the Youth Palace.

"Yes, I teach the electronic organ here. Are you here on business?" Mi Tengwu asked.

"Yes, official business. We’re looking for Mr. Cong Zhengping," Qin Ruonan replied.

"Mr. Cong? He’s not here. He’s been in the hospital for a while. Perhaps you should try visiting him there?"

"It's alright. We contacted him beforehand, and he said he would be back at work today," An Changpu said.

"Oh, I see. Mr. Cong is very meticulous; he always keeps his word. Perhaps he’s just delayed on the road. Why don't you wait in my office? I share an office with him," Mi Tengwu suggested.

"Weren't you about to head out? We don't want to delay you; we can wait here," Qin Ruonan said, fearing they were being a burden.

"Not at all, not at all. I was just going out to buy a pack of cigarettes," Mi Tengwu said, then paused and added sheepishly, "Officer Qin, if you happen to see my wife, please don't mention this. She’s very strict about my smoking. If she finds out, I’ll be in for a rough time. Come, let’s go to the office."

Seeing his persistence, Qin Ruonan agreed, and she and An Changpu followed Mi Tengwu toward the office.