His.
This You Mingxu was his.
An intense, thrilling sense of satisfaction surged in his heart, yet he showed no trace of it on his face. Instead, he chose a highly inappropriate moment to say, "Interesting. Call me 'husband,' and I'll tell you where he's going."
——
After the briefing, Ding Xiongwei didn't immediately head to the front lines but went somewhere else instead.
The detention center.
Ding Xiongwei exchanged greetings with the warden and soon found himself seated in an interview room. Given the heinous nature of the suspect he was about to meet, the detention center had deployed several armed police officers, maintaining strict security both inside and outside the room.
Ding Xiongwei watched silently, thinking it was unnecessary.
That person's strength lay in their intellect, in manipulating minds—they were physically weak. And from now on, would despair fill their heart?
So they would never get out.
After waiting a few minutes, the door opened, and a woman in prison uniform, shackled at the wrists and ankles, slowly walked in. Ding Xiongwei immediately noticed her short hair, still as neat and tidy as ever, and her remarkably clean prison clothes. Suddenly, his eyes stung slightly.
But by the time he looked up again, his expression was impeccably calm.
Fan Shuhua also appeared serene as she sat down opposite him, saying nothing.
Ding Xiongwei asked, "Where is Yin Chen?"
Fan Shuhua sighed softly and replied, "So he's finally taken that path after all?"
Ding Xiongwei: "What path?"
Fan Shuhua: "It makes sense. Everything is over, and he wants it to end too."
The two seemed to be talking past each other.
Ding Xiongwei restrained himself for a moment, then nearly growled, "Fan Shuhua! You were once a respected senior intellectual! You earned the respect and trust of our police force, as well as the gratitude of those victims. When you committed these acts, did you feel no guilt or hesitation at all? Do—do you have any humanity? Have you ever spoken a single word of truth to me?"
Fan Shuhua merely smiled faintly, at first glance still as serene and wise as before, her eyes holding a glimmer of light. But upon closer inspection, one could clearly see the hint of defiance at the corners of her lips and the hidden malice in her eyes.
"Victors are kings, losers are bandits, Lao Ding. There's no need to say more. You simply don't understand me."
Ding Xiongwei fell silent for a while, then dropped the subject and said, "Last night, Yin Chen kidnapped Xu Mengshan's parents. Xing Jifu, as well as Yin Feng's parents, are also in his hands. Involving innocent people, especially the parents of police officers—is this the doctrine of your Punisher? Don't you claim to Punish Evil and uphold justice?
Xu Mengshan, You Mingxu, Yin Feng—which of them isn't a good kid? Which of them doesn't risk their life to protect ordinary people? And now, Yin Chen's revenge falls on their parents. Is this fair? Fan Shuhua, I ask you, is this fair? Is this something a human being should do? If we can't rescue their parents, what kind of police are we? If you have even a shred of conscience left, tell me, where will Yin Chen take them? Do not do to others what you do not want done to you. Perhaps some parents are not good people. But some parents treat their children as the only thing that matters in the world. Like Mengshan's parents. Fan Shuhua, do you understand what I'm saying?"Fan Shuhua stared at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Lao Ding, you simply don't understand criminal psychology, nor do you comprehend what it truly is—it's something beyond your grasp." She paused before continuing, "You've got it wrong. The Punisher Organization ceased to exist long ago; everything has turned to dust, beyond any pursuit. Yin Chen understands this too, which is why his current actions have nothing to do with the Punishers or me. Those are merely his personal desires. I am not him, so I don't know where he might go." She stood up and turned to the officer who had escorted her: "Let's go."
Ding Xiongwei watched her walk away until she disappeared from sight, then expressionlessly turned and left as well.
Following the prison guard toward an iron door, Fan Shuhua's mind conjured an image of a black softcover notebook. The pages seemed to open in her thoughts, lines of handwriting flickering like ghosts before her eyes.
She suddenly lowered her head and chuckled, murmuring to herself, "Where does he want to go? His path was written long ago—he wants to go home..." Unexpectedly, tears welled in her eyes: "A child who wants to return home, his final wish... how could I stand in his way?"
—
Facing Yin Feng's intense gaze, You Mingxu strongly felt the urge to punch that handsome face to make him act normal.
But he didn't seem to be flirting with her—instead, he was sincerely proposing this exchange condition.
What a lunatic.
You Mingxu simply grabbed him by the collar: "Stop babbling nonsense. Solve the case and get your reward—out with it."
Yin Feng smiled faintly.
"He wants to go home."
You Mingxu released his collar: "Which home?"
Yin Feng raised an eyebrow—conversing with an intelligent woman was never difficult.
He explained: "What kind of person is Yin Chen? Someone who suffered parental abuse since childhood, received no positive affirmation, grew up wild and neglected, profoundly lonely. His feelings toward me—the younger brother who once stole parental affection, yet later shared the same fate of abuse—are complex: a mixture of love, jealousy, and hatred. As an adult, he engaged in scams and deceit, drifting through society's lowest strata. I don't know what transpired between him and my mother-in-law, but undoubtedly, when he hit rock bottom in life, she became his only light."
You Mingxu felt thoroughly uncomfortable hearing this: "Stop referring to her as 'mother-in-law' at every turn."
Yin Feng continued: "But this light was extinguished by a serial killer. Because of her, he came to hate Xing Jifu and infiltrated Kaiyang Group. During this period, he either made contact with Fan Shuhua or was discovered by her—after all, the criminal profile in the original case was created by Fan Shuhua, so it's no surprise she uncovered Yin Chen. Yin Chen became a Punisher, and from then on, beyond his goal of revenge, he gained a higher 'faith' in life. When someone possesses faith, it's terrifying—even if that faith is merely a fragile paper facade. That's why he could remain at Kaiyang for decades, why he appeared so crazy and violent and fearless, because he had faith to support him.
Yet, just as they were about to deliver their ultimate punishment, when he believed he had thoroughly crushed his younger brother and achieved total victory, overnight the Punisher Organization was completely eradicated. His spiritual mentor was imprisoned, and the Punishers declared complete failure. Xing Jifu had long fallen into his hands—his revenge was accomplished. So I ask you: what meaning does his life hold now? What remains for him to pursue?"
You Mingxu said: "So he's coming after us, seeking revenge."Yin Feng nodded: "Given his vicious nature, revenge is certain. But he also understands that there are countless police officers in this world—just this operation alone mobilized 300 officers to capture them. He can never truly exact revenge, nor does he have anyone specific to target.
When a person's lifelong spiritual pillar is shattered, what remains? Where would he turn? There are many ways he could have retaliated against us, yet he chose the current method, which precisely reflects his deepest desires—he is a man without a home, so he wants to destroy ours."
You Mingxu fell silent.
Wasn't Yin Chen's home also Yin Feng's home?
And now, as Yin Feng spoke of Yin Chen having nowhere to return, he sounded like a detached observer—calm, rational, and unfeeling.
Yin Feng continued: "However, he didn't kill them on the spot and leave their bodies for us, which would have achieved the ultimate revenge and destruction. Instead, he took them away.
Two other behaviors clearly reveal his inner state—based on the timeline, the leftovers on Xu Mengshan's table were from lunch, and he sat down to eat a bowl of homemade food. Did he sit in Xu Mengshan's seat? At the other two locations, he left immediately after completing his tasks, acting efficiently without wasting time. Only at his parents' house did he stay for an hour. Simply setting a fire and splattering blood wouldn't take that long. He lingered in his parents' home, and from the evidence at the scene, he did nothing else. So what was he thinking during that solitary hour?
All signs point to his deepest, truest desire: to return home. But after a lifetime of wandering, adopting numerous identities, what truly constitutes a home for him?"
You Mingxu's gaze darkened.
Yin Feng clasped his hands, resting them under his lips, and said: "There are four places that hold the meaning of home for him."
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