As soon as she ran out of the Municipal Bureau, Tong Meng stopped her act.
She glanced back at the entrance of the police station, her triumphant gaze evident. She had deliberately acted as if she and Gao Liang were close, joking with him and even acting a little coy. All of this was meant to give everyone the impression that she and Gao Liang were very familiar with each other.
She hadn't forgotten that Master Liu wanted her to find a scapegoat for an "inside man." The more intimate she appeared with Gao Liang now, the more credible her testimony would be later.
As for the grand performance of looking for Hu Jia at the end, even if the audience didn't like it, as long as the audience believed it, it was enough.
Tong Meng hummed a little tune, she loved the feeling of seeing Hu Jia every day.
Meanwhile, on the banks of the Jialing River, two figures stood on the pier, staring blankly at a wooden boat about to dock.
"Wang Yanlin, are we really not going back?"
"Going back is suicide!"
"But what if it was just a misunderstanding?"
"No misunderstanding is more important than one's own life."
With that, Wang Yanlin turned and walked away. Regardless of who had erased the words on the wall of the old Wang Xia house, even if it was a misunderstanding, he was unwilling to gamble with his life.
After taking a few steps, he suddenly remembered something. "You can blame Liu Li's death on me, after all, I was the one who killed her. But, out of respect for our shared surname Wang, I advise you not to go back."
When Wang Yangang heard Liu Li's name, his eyes flickered for a moment, then vanished. A woman, and a dead one at that, was nothing to dwell on.
But Wang Yanlin was right. He couldn't go back to the Dao Ren organization, as it was still unknown who had set them up.
"Brother, wait for me."
Wang Yanlin stopped. "How should I interpret this 'brother'?"
Wang Yangang smiled. "Understand it however you wish."
Then, he patted Wang Yanlin on the shoulder. "Let's go, I'll follow you from now on!"
Over this period, they had all come to a general understanding.
What happened in Huayan Village was a setup, designed to kill them.
As for the reason, it was probably related to that incident, right?
...
In the next two days, Tong Meng took leave on the pretext of a stomach ache and heartache. Lü Qingqing and others were still searching everywhere for Hu Jia, while Li Yang and his team had cast a net across the entire city and surrounding areas to track down the Wang brothers.
Everyone was busy, except for one person: Hu Jia.
Aside from the lack of freedom, he was treated well in all other aspects and did not suffer at all.
Master Liu's attitude towards Hu Jia surprised many, but Tong Meng was not surprised in the least. She had a faint suspicion in her heart...
One day, Master Liu stood before Hu Jia again.
"Have you considered it clearly?"
"Either let me go, or kill me."
Master Liu knew Hu Jia's stance all along. He didn't get angry but instead spun the thumb ring on his finger. "Actually, it doesn't matter whether you tell me or not. After all, I've waited for so many years, I don't mind waiting a day or two more."
Hu Jia scoffed. *You don't mind? I think you mind very much.*
"Wang Xia is dead!" Master Liu suddenly blurted out, leaving Hu Jia utterly confused.
Who? Who died?
Wang Xia?
He'd never heard of him!
"Aren't you curious?" Master Liu asked Hu Jia.
Hu Jia was completely bewildered this time. *Should I be curious? I don't even know who this person is.*
Master Liu looked at Hu Jia's expression and could even sense the smile behind his mask. "It seems you truly don't know who Wang Xia is."
"Who is he?" Hu Jia asked.
Master Liu didn't answer him, as he immediately said, "Mou Jixuan is also dead."
What?
Hu Jia instinctively tried to stand up again, but the ropes restricted his movement. The struggle suppressed his surging anger, and he spoke in a voice devoid of warmth, "Was it you?"
"Not only him, Li Zhenhui is dead too," Master Liu added another sentence that made Hu Jia despair.
Uncle Li is dead too? This time, Hu Jia couldn't control himself. Uncle Li was his father's most compatible partner. Ever since he could remember, Uncle Li had often teased him. After his father died, Uncle Li became despondent, but he knew that Uncle Li had never given up investigating the case.
And now, he had been murdered too.
This vengeance was too great!
"I'll kill you, I will definitely kill you!" Hu Jia struggled desperately, trying to break free from the ropes. His blood rushed, wishing he could snap the hemp ropes with brute force.
But it was all in vain.
Watching Hu Jia roar yet be powerless, Tong Hua felt an immense satisfaction. Hu Jia, you probably never imagined yourself in such a pathetic state.
As Tong Hua savored his private triumph, Master Liu suddenly pointed at him. "He's the one who killed Li Zhenhui."
Uh...
The smile froze on Tong Hua's face.
He sold him out just like that? And so skillfully?
Indeed, Hu Jia could judge the truth of the statement from Tong Hua's expression. He glared fiercely at Tong Hua. "Why? Why did you kill him?"
Tong Hua felt a chill run down his spine. Hu Jia's gaze was terrifying, but upon seeing Hu Jia bound, his fear vanished. "He was disobedient, so there was no point in keeping him."
As he spoke, Tong Hua seemed to want to provoke him further. He raised an eyebrow triumphantly. "Do you know how he died? Like this, kneeling before me."
*Bang!* Tong Hua made a gun-pointing motion. "He died with his eyes wide open."
Ah...
Hu Jia cried out, "Let me go! Let me go!"
He wanted to kill him. At this moment, he no longer considered himself a police officer. He only wanted to be an avenger.
This Tong Hua deserved to die!
Tong Hua reveled in Hu Jia's current frenzy. It turned out that following Master Liu had many benefits.
"Do you want to avenge Li Zhenhui?" Master Liu asked Hu Jia.
Suddenly, Hu Jia stopped roaring. His eyes were bloodshot, and he turned to look at the ugly mask. "The condition!"
"A name!"
Hu Jia replied without hesitation: "Two-Nine-Six! That's his codename!"
...
At the same time, Li Yang appeared before Lü Qingqing, dragging Wang Yangang by the collar. He threw him to the ground. "Caught one, the other got away."
Lü Qingqing looked at the cowering man before her. "Where is Hu Jia?"
"He left. I already told Officer Li that after we separated in the small forest, he left." Wang Yangang was afraid Lü Qingqing wouldn't believe him. "Really, I'm not lying. Captain Hu's mind... no, he might be a bit unwell. He doesn't remember who we are, and he was even laughing and talking with us. If he doesn't remember us, how could we have harmed him?"
Wang Yangang spoke with such sincerity that it fit Lü Qingqing and their own deductions.
"Which direction did he go? Where did he go?" Ou Yangwen believed Wang Yangang wasn't lying.
"Into the city. He entered the city directly at Lianglukou," Wang Yangang replied.
There was a place in Chongqing called Lianglukou, where the famous Crown Grand Escalator is now located.
From the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, there were two important roads from old Chongqing city to Chengdu. One went out from Nanjimen, passing through Leijiapo and Chuandaogui. The other was the official road out of the city from Tongyuanmen. The two roads converged at Lianglukou, from where they led west to Fotuguan and then further to Chengdu. Lianglukou was thus named.
Therefore, as long as Hu Jia separated from the Wang brothers at Lianglukou, no matter which road he took, he would eventually enter the city.
However, Hu Jia, who had entered the city, did not go home.
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Lü Qingqing questioned.
"I'll tell you everything, Huayan Village, Wang Xia, everything," Wang Yangang said eagerly, indicating his sincerity.
Since I'm willing to tell you about old cases, why would I conceal Hu Jia's whereabouts?