Chapter 295: The Final Targets

Chen Shi stood up immediately upon hearing this, but Cao Lijuan said, “Uncle, don’t bother. He’s long gone.”

“What did he come to your house to do… No, when did he leave?” Chen Shi asked urgently.

“I won’t tell you!” Cao Lijuan replied firmly. “I knew it. You police are all the same. Even if I rip open my scars and show them to you, you only care about catching him and solving the case. You have no human feelings!”

“This is our job,” Chen Shi said.

Lin Dongxue added, “You don’t understand who he is now. Before killing Mr. Xu, he killed several others. Those people had no hatred with him. They had families too, and for those families, losing a loved one is a lifetime of pain.”

Cao Lijuan twisted her fingers, a sign of inner turmoil.

Lin Dongxue didn’t want to press her further and said to Chen Shi, “Let’s go.”

“Wait!” Cao Lijuan called out. “Wang Sunxu came this morning. He talked a lot. He knows he’ll be arrested soon. He told me his plan is almost complete, only two targets left. Those two people are the culprits behind his ruined childhood.”

“I get it. He plans to…” Chen Shi suddenly stopped speaking as he smelled fresh blood.

Chen Shi suddenly pulled Cao Lijuan’s arm from under the table, revealing her blood-covered wrist. A blood-stained utility knife fell onto the table, and the surrounding patrons stood up, screaming.

Cao Lijuan smiled sadly, “The only thing I can do is delay you a few more minutes so you’ll be late…” Her lips turned whiter, and she fainted onto Chen Shi.

“Stupid girl!” Chen Shi cursed, immediately cutting the tablecloth to make a makeshift bandage. He then carried her to the car and rushed to the hospital. During the drive, Lin Dongxue held back tears and called the task force, instructing them to meet at the hospital. After the call, Chen Shi placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and said, “She’ll be fine. It’s not life-threatening.”

“I’m sorry! I just feel sad for this girl,” Lin Dongxue said, knowing that as a detective, she shouldn’t be so fragile.

“If you want to cry, just cry. Crying is also a form of release,” Chen Shi said. Lin Dongxue shook her head stubbornly, refusing to cry.

Cao Lijuan’s wrist wound was not deep, just bleeding a lot. After half an hour in the hospital, the doctor said she was out of danger.

Other officers hurried in, and Lin Dongxue addressed them, “Sorry, no one will get any rest tonight. Go to XX community to investigate; Wang Sunxu was there today.”

“No need!” Chen Shi said. “I know who Wang Sunxu’s last two targets are. Sun Shu and Song Lang, the two police officers who arrested him back then. Sun Shu resigned long ago and now lives in Long’an City. As for Song Lang, he has long disappeared…” Seeing everyone’s surprised expressions, Chen Shi explained, “I read the case files before, so I know these names.”

Old Zhang said, “I know where Sun Shu lives.”

Lin Dongxue ordered, “Let’s go find him now! We must protect him; no more people should die!”

On the way, Old Zhang briefed everyone on Sun Shu’s situation. Sun Shu had a fiery temper and was once a famous tough cop in the bureau. He was a capable officer in Song Lang’s task force and was in the same generation as Song Lang’s mentor, Li Mu.

Fate took a turn when Sun Shu was about to be promoted to squad leader. During a shootout with criminals, he accidentally injured a bystander. Sun Shu couldn’t accept this fact and used his savings to bribe officials, hoping the bureau would claim the bullet came from the criminal’s gun.

This action made things worse. Not only was he dismissed, but he was also sentenced to five years in prison for bribery. In jail, he was crippled by a criminal he had previously arrested. After his release, he lived a miserable life, working in a restaurant.

In the first few years, old colleagues often visited and helped him. But as those colleagues retired, Sun Shu was gradually forgotten.

Old Zhang sighed, “If he hadn’t made that mistake, he would probably be a section chief by now.”

Sun Shu now worked at a roast pig restaurant and lived in a small room behind the kitchen, acting as both a cook and a guard. When the team arrived late at night, the door was ajar, and Huangmei Opera played from a transistor radio. A pool of fresh blood lay on the ground.

“Damn, we’re too late!” Lin Dongxue exclaimed.

Chen Shi pointed to a cage for piglets by the wall. “That should be pig blood, not human.”

“Who are you looking for?” A middle-aged man in a leather apron, covered in pig blood, walked out with a somewhat fierce expression.

“Are you Officer Sun?” Chen Shi asked.

“Do I look like a cop?” Sun Shu saw Old Zhang and immediately understood who they were. “Old Zhang, long time no see… What brings you all here?”

Lin Dongxue said, “Mr. Sun, someone wants to kill you. We’re here to protect you.”

“Haha!” Sun Shu laughed. “A worthless life like mine, who cares? And wow, the new generation of cops is so good-looking?”

“My name is Lin Dongxue.”

“Lin Dongxue… Are you by any chance related to…?”

“Yes, Lin Qiupu is my brother.”

“No wonder such a pretty girl got into the team. You must have connections! Girl, being a cop isn’t easy. Look at me! Why didn’t your brother come? Ashamed to show his face? If it wasn’t for my ‘retirement,’ he wouldn’t have become squad leader!”

Lin Dongxue held back her anger and said, “Mr. Sun, we’re not here to joke around. Based on our intelligence, your life is in immediate danger. If you don’t accept our protection, we’ll detain you.”

Sun Shu sat down, took a sip of erguotou, and said, “Let me guess, protection is just using me as bait, right? If I weren’t of any use, no one would care about my life.”

Lin Dongxue clenched her fists. Chen Shi said, “Were you this rude when you were a cop?”

“Who are you?” Sun Shu glared.

“I’m not a cop, just an ordinary citizen like you. If you keep talking like this, I’ll beat you up. At worst, I’ll get detained too.”

“MLGB, say that again!” Sun Shu stood up.

“Looking for a beating?”

Chen Shi and Sun Shu locked eyes. Chen Shi knew that some people only understood the language of force. Once respected, Sun Shu had now become a petty man, and Chen Shi felt no sympathy for him.

Lin Dongxue softly advised Chen Shi not to act rashly and pulled his arm. After a long stare, Sun Shu softened, took out a cigarette, and said, “Calm down, brother. Smoke a cigarette! Do whatever you want to protect me, just don’t interfere with my work.”

As expected, he was just a paper tiger, Chen Shi thought with a cold smile.