Chapter 583: Ruthless Tactics

In the afternoon, the area outside the school was quiet. The sound of students reading echoed from within the building. Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue stood outside, eating popsicles while waiting for school to let out.

Two class periods flew by quickly. Lin Dongxue commented, “When I was in school, time dragged on. Now, forty minutes feels like nothing. In the office, I can barely get a few lines written in that time.”

“True. Do you ever wish you could go back to school?”

“Not at all!”

“Figures. Adults always say school days are the best, but earning your own money and living your own life, even if it’s hard, is much more satisfying.”

“Do you want to wait in the car?”

“No, let’s stay here. Any news from the hospital?”

Lin Dongxue glanced at her phone. “He made it through surgery. His finger was too contaminated to reattach, and he has a slight fever now, but he’s on a drip.”

“He’s really something.”

“I’ve seen people swallow razor blades, detergent, all kinds of things to avoid interrogation. One suspect pulled out a razor blade and swallowed it again. A brother in the narcotics team told me about a drug addict who always got pregnant when arrested, so they had to release her. She did this for years. Later, they found out through a CT scan that the baby had been dead inside her for a long time.”

“You sound so calm talking about these things. Being a cop for a long time toughens your nerves.”

“Really? I think I’m still pretty sensitive.”

“Compared to other cops, maybe.”

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Chen Shi, feeling uneasy, went to check on Cao Rui. He was still at his window seat. A security guard asked, “Who are you? Don’t stand on the playground. If the leaders see you, I’ll get my pay docked.”

So they went back to waiting at the school gate. It was now four in the afternoon. Once Cao Rui identified the suspect, he would be safe. The case’s success depended on the court’s decision, but Chen Shi had done all he could. The rest was up to the prosecutors.

As the last class of the day ended, parents began arriving to pick up their children. Chen Shi noticed a middle-aged woman entering the school, possibly a parent. “There’s an outsider in the school. Just in case, let’s go in too.”

When they entered the school, Chen Shi saw that Cao Rui was no longer at his seat. Panic set in. He barged into the classroom, asking, “Where’s Cao Rui?”

The teacher at the podium asked, “Are you his parent?”

“I’m a cop. When did Cao Rui leave?”

The students exchanged glances. A boy said, “I saw Gu Xixi call him out during the break.”

A girl added, “The homeroom teacher texted him to go to the office. Here, this is the message.”

Chen Shi and Lin Dongxue rushed upstairs to the office, where two teachers looked bewildered. They asked where Cao Rui’s homeroom teacher was, and were told he was in another class.

Suddenly, they heard a scream. Someone had fallen from the rooftop. Classrooms erupted in chaos. Chen Shi looked down to see a boy in a school uniform lying on the ground, his arm twisted unnaturally, a pool of blood slowly spreading under his head.

Chen Shi yelled to Lin Dongxue, “I’ll go up, you stay down!”

He sprinted to the rooftop, where he saw a man in black fleeing. The man leapt off the edge, landing on a small shop’s roof before jumping to the street.

Chen Shi followed, rolling as he hit the ground, feeling a sharp pain in his leg. Ignoring it, he continued the chase. The man ran like a madman, knocking over pedestrians and bicycles to create obstacles. Chen Shi shouted, “I’m a cop! Stop that man!”

People moved aside, some taking out their phones to call the police. The chase led to a busy road, where the man tried to cross but was hit by a car. He flipped through the air and landed hard, his neck twisted at an odd angle. Traffic came to a halt.

Gasping for breath, Chen Shi couldn’t believe his eyes.

Back at the school, Lin Dongxue checked the fallen boy. It was Cao Rui. She felt dizzy with shock. Cao Rui’s head had hit the ground, and he was barely conscious. His bloodshot eyes streamed with tears, his mouth moving soundlessly.

“Hold on! I’ll call an ambulance!” Lin Dongxue’s hands trembled as she dialed 120.

Students gathered around, too scared to approach. Tao Yueyue broke through the crowd, kneeling beside Cao Rui. He tried to smile, his blood staining her hands.

Clenching her fists, Tao Yueyue looked up at the roof, seeing Zhou Tiannan smiling smugly as he leaned on the railing.

“I will avenge you! I will avenge you!” she silently vowed.

By the time school let out, Cao Rui had been taken to the hospital. Police swarmed the area. Investigations revealed that the text message Gu Xixi received was from a spoofed number. The homeroom teacher hadn’t sent it. The man who pushed Cao Rui was quickly identified as a suspect from a case three years ago who had been released due to lack of evidence.

Police speculated he was another beneficiary of Zhou Tiannan’s “favors,” now repaying his debt.

By 8 PM, Chen Shi, Lin Dongxue, Tao Yueyue, and Xu Xiaodong anxiously waited outside the neurosurgery emergency room. The hours felt endless. Finally, a doctor emerged. Chen Shi rushed forward. “How is he?”

The doctor shook his head. “I’m sorry. We did everything we could.”

Lin Dongxue and Tao Yueyue hugged each other, sobbing. Chen Shi, speechless, walked outside. Xu Xiaodong chased after him, “Chen, where are you going?”

“Is Yan Ke still in this hospital?” Chen Shi asked through gritted teeth.

In the inpatient ward, Yan Ke, handcuffed to the bed, was receiving an IV. Lawyer Wang whispered something to him, and Yan Ke’s eyes widened with excitement. “Really?”

“Mr. Zhou reminds you not to forget your promise. When he needs you, you must not refuse.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll repay him!” Yan Ke raised his hands in jubilation. “I’m innocent! I’m innocent!”

Suddenly, someone burst in, grabbed Yan Ke, and dragged him to the window. Yan Ke and his lawyer were terrified. The person was so enraged his face was contorted. It took a moment for Yan Ke to recognize him as Chen Shi.

“Hey, what are you doing?” the lawyer tried to intervene.

Chen Shi pushed the lawyer away, gripping Yan Ke’s collar. “You kill a kid to cover up your crimes? Are you even human!?”

Yan Ke, terrified, struggled helplessly. Chen Shi’s strength was overwhelming. The lawyer warned, “Let go, or I’ll sue you! Let go!”

“Go ahead!” Chen Shi’s eyes blazed. “You won’t escape justice!”

Xu Xiaodong, panting, burst in and shouted, “Chen, are you crazy?” He struggled to pull Chen Shi off. As he was led out of the room, Yan Ke collapsed, paralyzed with fear. Dark thoughts swirled in Chen Shi’s mind.

Zhou Tiannan must pay!