Chapter 3: Running into a Suspect

After a few seconds of dead silence, Chen Shi glanced casually at the rearview mirror, “What’s going on?”

“I told you to stop. Didn’t you hear me?” Lin Dongxue snapped.

“Do you see a place to stop on this road? We’ll stop after the next intersection.”

“Stop! Stop the car!” Lin Dongxue kicked the driver’s seat in frustration. Despite her tension and fear, she also felt a surge of excitement. It was as if fate had handed her the suspect on a silver platter—this could be her big break.

In the rearview mirror, Chen Shi’s sharp eyes observed the slightest changes in her expression. He nonchalantly said, “You were looking at your phone just now and suddenly changed your attitude. It seems like there’s been a misunderstanding. You must have mistaken me for a suspect.”

“Mistaken? It’s not up to you to say. Come with me to the station!”

“I’ll point out three things you did wrong,” Chen Shi calmly stated.

“What?!” Lin Dongxue couldn’t believe her ears. Was this guy out of his mind?

“First, upon discovering the driver is a suspect, you should immediately contact your colleagues, report your location, and try to keep the suspect calm. Second, who are you trying to scare with an unloaded gun? Third, threatening someone with a gun in a moving car is very unwise. For example, if I…”

Before Lin Dongxue could react, Chen Shi suddenly slammed on the brakes. The sudden inertia caused her head to slam into the back of the driver’s seat, and the gun slipped out of her hand.

She looked up to find the cold barrel of a gun pointed at her head, with Chen Shi’s mocking eyes behind it. “See? Easily done. I could kill you right now, and your colleagues wouldn’t know a thing. You’re inexperienced, rookie.”

“What… what do you want?” Lin Dongxue’s throat was dry with fear. She frantically searched for her phone but couldn’t find it.

Chen Shi spun the gun around and handed it back to her, grip first. “Just pointing out some areas for improvement.”

Lin Dongxue couldn’t believe it as she took the gun back from the suspect. She didn’t know what to do next. Chen Shi said, “Stop pointing that useless gun at me. I’ll go with you, okay?”

“Idiot! Are you asking to die?!” The driver behind them honked furiously, his curses sharp and loud.

Chen Shi stuck his hand out the window and flipped him off before starting the car again.

Rubbing her sore forehead, Lin Dongxue was completely baffled. For a suspect, this guy was way too calm.

“So, the road to your place is a bit congested. Mind if I take a detour?” Chen Shi asked.

“Don’t try any tricks!” Lin Dongxue snapped back to reality.

Chen Shi laughed. “What about this fare? Should I confirm the charge first?”

“Whatever!” Lin Dongxue found her phone under the seat and saw another message from Xu Xiaodong: “Holy crap! You won’t believe it. This guy has a thick rap sheet. He used to be in a gang involved in fights, extortion, and kidnapping. He once beat someone into a vegetative state in a brawl and got ten years for serious injury. How can a guy like this become a rideshare driver? Imagine him driving single women around at night. It’s terrifying.”

No wonder he’s so calm, she thought. This guy’s an old hand at this.

Lin Dongxue composed a quick message and sent it: “I’m in the suspect’s car right now. I’ve ordered him to drive to the Criminal Investigation Division. Someone should meet us there.”

The group chat exploded with responses: “No way!” “Lady Lin hit the jackpot!” “Seriously? Running into a suspect like this? So lucky!” “Report your position, don’t reveal your identity, and don’t do anything to provoke the suspect. Keep him calm!”

The last message was from her brother, Lin Qiupu. Lin Dongxue sent her real-time location to the group.

As the car rounded a corner and suddenly stopped, Chen Shi flung the door open and bolted like a mad dog unleashed. Lin Dongxue was shocked but not surprised; she had known he wouldn’t comply. She blamed herself for being too careless.

“Stop!” she shouted, running after him.

Chen Shi was fast, and Lin Dongxue, in her heels, couldn’t keep up. The crowded street made it risky to fire her gun without causing a panic—and certainly a headline tomorrow.

After a few steps, the heel of her right shoe broke. Frustrated, she kicked off her shoes and continued the chase, ignoring the pain in her bare feet.

People made way, and in front of Chen Shi was a young man running desperately. As they closed the gap, Chen Shi lunged forward, tackling the man and grabbing a woman’s handbag from his hand.

Chen Shi pulled out a roll of tape from his pocket and tied the man’s hands behind his back. Bystanders gathered, praising Chen Shi for his heroic act.

Lin Dongxue stood there, stunned. Was this chase just for a good deed?

A woman stepped forward, crying, “Thank you so much! This is the money I scraped together for my mother’s treatment. If it had been stolen, I wouldn’t know what to do.”

Chen Shi handed the bag back to her. “Be more careful. There are a lot of people around.”

“Thank you! Thank you!” The woman pulled out a wad of cash to give Chen Shi as a reward.

Chen Shi didn’t hesitate to take a few bills. “This much is enough. I can’t take too much.”

After instructing the woman to call the police, Chen Shi turned and walked away. Lin Dongxue sneered, “If you’re doing a good deed, why take money? I thought you were so noble.”

“Nobility and selflessness aren’t the same. Unlimited altruism is pathological. Besides, a small reward makes me happy, and the giver doesn’t feel indebted.”

Lin Dongxue had no retort to that and changed the subject. “You, a driver, taking such risks, aren’t you afraid of retaliation?”

“Most of the fear surrounding thugs is imagined by ordinary people. Rats are still afraid of humans.”

“Speaking of, you’re not afraid of retaliation since you’re heading back to prison anyway, right, suspect Chen?”

Chen Shi didn’t respond. He looked down and saw her bare feet. “Where are your shoes?”

Lin Dongxue glanced around but couldn’t find them. Her feet were sore from running on the rough ground. “None of your business!”

Chen Shi grabbed her arm and pulled her toward a nearby shoe store. Lin Dongxue pulled away, “What are you doing?”

“Come on, let’s go.”

Being dragged by a strange man to buy shoes made Lin Dongxue uncomfortable. She hastily picked a pair of sneakers. When it was time to pay, she realized she’d left her wallet in the car.

“Consider it a loan,” Chen Shi said, tossing the money he’d just received onto the counter.