Teenagers are ambitious and daring. Initially, Chen Yi just wanted to watch from the sidelines, using the police's momentum to expose those under Zhang Shi who had committed crimes. With Zhai Fengmao's capabilities, the people frequenting the nightclubs at the time were either wealthy or influential, making a complete collapse unlikely. Later, when Chen Yi was noticed by Zhai Fengmao and drawn into drug-related dealings, he had to prove his courage and loyalty through actions. Knowing that such endeavors often ended in death or becoming a scapegoat, Chen Yi, after much deliberation, contacted Zhou Kang'an to protect himself and became a tainted informant.
Zhai Fengmao's organization was tightly structured, with everyone's backgrounds thoroughly vetted. At that time, Miao Jing was nearing her college entrance exams. She was bound to leave, preferably for a university far away. It was well-known that Chen Yi had little connection to her, and their interactions were distant. Chen Yi rarely mentioned her, and when he did, it was with indifference. Once Miao Jing left, he had no more worries.
The point of no return came when Miao Jing called the police, infuriating Chen Yi. At the time, Miao Jing was still inexperienced and mistakenly thought he was using drugs, so she reported him. However, that incident was actually a deliberate test arranged by Zhai Fengmao, who had informants everywhere. If the situation had escalated—if Chen Yi had been taken to the police station or if Miao Jing had revealed anything—both of them would have been finished. At the last moment, Chen Yi called Zhou Kang'an, who urgently exposed an undercover police officer to intercept the matter. From then on, Chen Yi fully aligned with Zhou Kang'an, becoming a hidden thread in the plan to bring down Zhai Fengmao.
As the protective umbrella collapsed, Zhang Shi and others also declined. Zhai Fengmao, having received early warnings, fled to Myanmar. The police intentionally let a few escape, including Chen Yi. Chen Yi followed Zhai Fengmao's trail to the Golden Triangle, where he found him. At the time, Zhai Fengmao did not welcome him—bullet fragments grazed Chen Yi's forehead, leaving him pale and bleeding profusely, yet he stood firm.
Chen Yi stayed under Zhai Fengmao as a low-level lackey, gathering intelligence on his drug and arms trade operations. This base was eventually raided by the Myanmar military, and Zhai Fengmao escaped deeper into Southeast Asia. Chen Yi quietly returned to Tengcheng, living a stable life.
How did the fire at the billiards hall start? Chen Yi's intuition told him it wasn't Zhai Fengmao. Six months earlier, he had gone to Yunnan upon hearing that Zhai Fengmao had returned to the Golden Triangle. Unsure if his identity had been exposed, Chen Yi took the risk to check but never saw any trace of Zhai Fengmao. If he had been exposed, given Zhai Fengmao's nature, he would have either killed Chen Yi himself or hired someone to do it—ending with a bullet or a gruesome death—not set fire to the billiards hall and cause such a commotion.
The fire didn't cause major damage and didn't require the involvement of the criminal police team. However, Zhou Kang'an, fearing something amiss, handled it cautiously. He sent the burned surveillance footage from the billiards hall for forensic analysis. Unfortunately, the hall had several blind spots due to its size, and with the crowd that day, they were still in the process of elimination, with no clear findings yet.
Before the fire, Chen Yi hadn't noticed anything unusual around him. Perhaps there were signs, but his mind was entirely preoccupied with Miao Jing, causing him to overlook them completely.After Zhou Kang'an left, Miao Jing entered and sat by the hospital bed, handing the cut fruit to Chen Yi. Both his arms were burned and wrapped in bandages, making movement difficult. It was uncertain what kind of scars would remain after recovery. A trace of melancholy and sorrow flickered in Miao Jing's eyes.
He gazed into her beautiful, bright eyes and fell into deep thought.
What if it really was retaliation from Zhai Fengmao or someone close to Zhang Shi?
As long as Zhai Fengmao remained alive and unapprehended, he would never find peace.
Chen Yi spoke hoarsely, "Aren't you going to work at the company?"
For over ten days, she had stayed by his side in the hospital without leaving even once.
Miao Jing replied calmly, "I quit my job."
"Quitting is fine too." He lowered his gaze and spoke slowly, "When do you plan to leave Tengcheng?"
Miao Jing was taken aback, putting down the fruit fork. "Why?"
"If you're going to leave, it's better to go early." Chen Yi said calmly, "You've been through enough during these few months since returning to Tengcheng, and now you've been staying with me in the hospital for so long. I'm tired, and you're tired too. Go back. I'll have Bo Zai come to the hospital tomorrow to keep watch. There's no need to trouble you."
He closed his eyes and lay quietly on the hospital bed to rest. Seeing his breathing steady, Miao Jing quietly slipped out of the room.
The fire at the billiards hall had started from a trash can, next to which were a storage room and a small warehouse. Everyone speculated that it was caused by someone smoking. Although it was strictly prohibited, many people smoked in the hall. A carelessly discarded cigarette butt could silently ignite and lead to disaster.
When Zhou Kang'an came to see Chen Yi again, he brought some new information. The two prisoners who had just been released after serving their sentences had disappeared without a trace. In a blind spot of the billiards hall's surveillance cameras, a blurry figure had flashed past in the reflection of a glass wall.
Chen Yi frowned.
If you often walk by the river, you're bound to get your shoes wet. Some grudges and conflicts were impossible to explain clearly.
"If you ask me, if it really is those people from before, no one can stop them. I might as well boldly go to Yunnan again, and you can follow behind me? It's better to play the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, than to rely on forensic methods to solve the case now."
Zhou Kang'an shook his head and mentioned the gambling tip-off from a few days before the fire, which had come from Tu Li. But Chen Yi was certain it wasn't her. Although she knew the billiards hall inside out, she would never do such a thing.
The two chatted in the room for a while before Zhou Kang'an quietly left. Outside the room, however, Miao Jing stopped him.
It was only now that Miao Jing learned he was an officer from the city's criminal police division. Back in her senior year of high school, Zhou Kang'an had helped her several times, both openly and discreetly. He had assisted with transferring her household registration and files. Later, when Chen Yi went missing, Miao Jing had called Zhou Kang'an to report it. Zhou Kang'an had comforted her with a few gentle words before casually mentioning that Chen Yi had gone out of town, brushing the matter off with a few light remarks.
"Officer Zhou."
"Miao Jing?" Zhou Kang'an was pleased to see her. "You've been back for about half a year, right?"
"You knew I had returned."
Miao Jing asked about the billiards hall fire, questioning whether it was arson. Zhou Kang'an explained that the situation was unclear and still under investigation. After listening carefully to his explanation, Miao Jing finally asked, "Officer Zhou, is Chen Yi a bad person?"
OpenNovel