Chapter 194: Unsolved Case

Yu Yuwei pressed the shutter.

At the same moment, Brother Jun and I, along with Huang Xiaochui and Yu Yuwei, all lunged forward, quickly rolling inward. Abe Lips, seeing us sprawled on the ground, had already cocked the pistol in his hand.

Huang Xiaochui’s hammer was already in motion, flying out swiftly. Yu Yuwei’s sword was also thrown. Just then, several smoke grenades were tossed in, quickly filling the area with thick fog. Silence enveloped us—no one knew what was happening.

I rolled to the side as bullets thudded around me. The warehouse entrance and windows were suddenly swarmed with people, and gunfire erupted again.

Abe Lips shouted, “I surrender.”

It took a full fifteen minutes for the smoke to clear. Several fleeing ninjas were riddled with bullets, while two others attempting to escape were caught in a net—clearly, the attackers had come well-prepared. Abe Lips knelt on the ground, hands raised with his gun held above his head. Brother Jun and I crouched as well, along with Huang Xiaochui and Yu Yuwei.

Several uniformed police officers, plainclothes cops, and fully armed special forces personnel entered. One of them examined the camera and said, “Look at this. One used a hammer, the other a sword.” Brother Jun, Yu Yuwei, and Huang Xiaochui were quickly taken to the hospital. I waited for the forensic team to arrive and conduct their investigation, making sure to handle Uncle Datan and Zuo Shan’s remains with care.

A rope descended from the warehouse ceiling, and a soldier walked straight toward me. “Xiao Qi, didn’t expect to see you again,” he said, saluting me with an imposing air.

It was Lin Danan’s older brother, Lin Dawei. I was surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Lin Dawei explained, “After I was injured at the Yunnan border last time, I recovered and returned to the frontier. Later, we discovered that a large shipment of heroin from Dai Zhong of the Golden Triangle was being smuggled from Thailand into Japan. Some of these Japanese then entered China, making a big impact in just two months. Many narcotics officers reported that these drug dealers could escape through tiny windows and even disguise themselves. Investigations revealed they were a group called ninjas. The case was later escalated, and since I had prior experience with this lead, I was called in. A month ago, we heard their leader had come to Jiangcheng. We followed and, unexpectedly, caught them here.”

“Any evidence?” I asked, recalling many Hong Kong movies where arrests had to be made during an exchange.

Lin Dawei nodded. “Of course.”

Abe Lips interjected, “I know your policy—leniency for confession. I’ll tell you everything.” I stepped forward and kicked the handcuffed Abe Lips. “Even if you die, it won’t bring Uncle Datan back.”

Lin Dawei stopped the plainclothes officer who tried to pull me away.

Abe Lips yelled, “I’ll report him for assault!” Lin Dawei smirked. “I didn’t see anything.”

About half an hour later, the forensic team arrived for a preliminary examination. Chen Tutu was among them, looking at me with concern. When I last saw her in the first half of the year, she was still a trainee forensic examiner. By September, she had been officially hired, but for such a major case, she was still assisting rather than leading.

I asked, “Will Yu Yuwei and Huang Xiaochui be okay?”

Lin Dawei shrugged. “I don’t know. If they killed someone, they’ll definitely go to jail. I’m neither a judge nor a lawyer.”

Uncle Datan’s body lay where it had fallen. I stepped forward and closed his eyes. “Uncle Datan, rest in peace.”

The entire scene was recorded on camera. The forensic team conducted a thorough investigation.

The next day, a press conference announced that the police, in collaboration with Interpol, had dismantled a drug trafficking network spanning multiple Southeast Asian countries. There were casualties during the operation, including two hostages—one Chinese national, Zhang, and another Thai national, Zuo.

The drug lord confessed to everything. Due to the covert nature of narcotics enforcement, the officers involved were commended, and our undercover efforts were acknowledged. “The people thank you. We are confident in our fight against drug trafficking and in building a harmonious society.”

The journalists applauded enthusiastically—a rare uplifting piece of news during Jiangcheng’s winter. Lin Dawei and I weren’t particularly close, but we visited Uncle Jianguo together. Lin Dawei was only temporarily assigned and would soon return. I asked about Lin Danan, feeling somewhat guilty for having used his name at times.

My connection with the Lin brothers, Lin Danan and Lin Dawei, ran deeper. If Ye Wenxin had truly married into the Lin family, as Zuo Shan once said, she had married well. Lin Dawei mentioned that his younger brother had started pondering life’s bigger questions.

When I asked about their grandmother, Lin Dawei said she was surnamed Zhao. I didn’t press further—perhaps Ye Wenxin had been abandoned, and Lin Dawei’s grandfather had remarried.

Lin Dawei added, “To be honest, she wasn’t my biological grandmother. My father told me.” He didn’t elaborate on his family background, drank two glasses of wine, and left Jiangcheng. After recovering, Huang Xiaochui and Yu Yuwei were released. Unfortunately, by the time I saw them, they had already departed.

Yu Yuwei stayed by my side—something I hadn’t expected. Brother Jun, who had almost fully recovered, was shot in the leg again and returned to the hospital. Sun Xiaolin found time to care for him.

Meng Liuchuan’s body was eventually discovered floating downstream in the Yangtze River, found by a fisherman. The corpse was barely recognizable. Meng Liuchuan died with his eyes wide open—his pursuit of honor no longer mattered.

Both Meng Liuchuan and Abe Lips had suffered, and my mission was complete.

Though Meng Liuchuan had gone too far, he died pursuing his lifelong ideal.

Abe Lips, driven by money, was just an ordinary man. Meng Liuchuan, however, had elevated his soul.

Uncle Datan’s cause of death was confirmed, and his body was cremated. I met his widow, and their two sons came to collect the ashes. They received some compensation—not much, but Brother Jun and I chipped in as a gesture.

For a while, I couldn’t reach Zeng Jie. Zuo Shan was also cremated.

I ground his remains into ash, placed them in an urn, and stored it in a public columbarium, waiting for Zeng Jie to claim it. Zuo Shan had died protecting the jade ruler. In the end, I brought him back into the fold—Ye Guyi wouldn’t have objected.

A prodigal son’s return is priceless. In his final moments, Zuo Shan had truly turned back.

Uncle Datan and Zuo Shan died together. On the road to the underworld, at least they wouldn’t be alone.

There was still no trace of Gu Xiulian, the killer who had murdered Zuo Shan. Due to his disguised appearance, identifying him was impossible. He had vanished into the crowd, leaving no leads.

I called Chen Tutu, asking her out for a meal. She said she was too busy with work. I asked, “Are you going back to Shanghai for New Year’s?”

After a pause, she replied, “That’s none of your business. Anyway, I’m at work now—can’t talk.”

Hanging up, I fell silent, unsure what to do.

…

Shen Yihu, carrying a small leather bag, came to the flower shop looking for me. “Xiao Qi,” he said as soon as he entered, “Abe Lips confessed—he never stole those seven corpses. If we don’t solve this by year-end, my squad will be the laughingstock of the force.”

I swept the floor just as someone called to order a bouquet. Since Yu Yuwei left, this work had fallen to me.

After wrapping, trimming leaves, and adding baby’s breath, I was finally done. Shen Yihu asked, “Master, any ideas? Help me out.”

I laughed. “Your wife gave me a hundred bucks and sent me packing.” Shen Yihu grinned. “Let’s negotiate. There’s a reward if we crack the case.”

I finished the bouquet, waiting for pickup.

If there was a reward, I’d help. But it had been so long—where to even start? I grabbed the jade ruler, compass, and my ghost-catching and corpse-suppressing talismans.

I went with Shen Yihu to the police station, where he showed me footage of the seven corpses walking out. After hours of reviewing footage—even three days’ worth—I found nothing unusual.

Leaving the station, Shen Yihu treated me to a late-night snack, saying the case was bizarre. I agreed—it wasn’t just strange, it was unbelievable. “You’re not the only one left hanging. I thought it was the Japanese, but it wasn’t. Someone just exploited a simple trick—making people suspect each other.”

Shen Yihu ordered hot pot—coincidentally, also sour fish. I asked about Gao Mo. “Does your wife, Meng Xiaoyu—Meng the Tiger—know about this?”

Shen Yihu understood I meant Gao Mo’s crush on him.

He laughed awkwardly, offering me a Huanghelou cigarette. I wasn’t fooled—I ate most of the fish, leaving the pickled vegetables for him.

Shen Yihu chuckled. “You’re sly.” He poured me a drink. “After we eat, let’s go back and analyze the clues.”

I groaned. “Bro, spare me. All I’ve seen are people coming and going. I have no idea who did it—isn’t this your guys’ job?”

Shen Yihu sighed. “No choice—everyone’s out chasing leads. Honestly, you’re my lucky star. The case depends on you.”

I scoffed. “Cut the crap—you’re just dragging me into this. If you don’t like Gao Mo, just tell her. You didn’t… push her down, did you?”

Shen Yihu snapped, “Why’d you bring that up again?” Outside the hot pot place, it was dark. Shen Yihu often worked late and ate here, so the owner knew him well and didn’t rush us, even bringing over more drinks.

The owner joked about the seven stolen corpses—maybe the descendants of Swallow Li San, slipping through walls unseen. I laughed. “Boss, you must’ve loved martial arts novels.”

The owner grinned. “Huanzhu Louzhu, Jin Yong, Gu Long, Jin Yong Xin—I’ve read them all.”

I teased, “Even Jin Yong Xin’s works?”

He cursed. “Who knew ‘Jin Yong Xin’ wasn’t Jin Yong but some guy named Jin Yong Xin? Books like *The Flirty Old Mischief-Maker*, *Hero Feng Qingyang*, *Nine Yin Nine Yang*…” The owner, chatty from hosting customers, rambled about martial arts novels before complaining, “Kids these days don’t read this stuff—just *Tiny Times*. So weak.”

I smiled. “Uncle, every era has its vibe. No better or worse. Back when we read martial arts novels, we got scolded too. My copy of *Little Li’s Knife* got confiscated so many times. Worse, when I finally learned better, I realized it was supposed to be *Little Li’s Flying Dagger* or *The First Blade Under Heaven*.”

The owner laughed and went back to his accounts.

I turned to Shen Yihu. “You don’t appreciate what you have—married, yet still charming girls. Guys like you leave no room for artsy types like me.”

Shen Yihu sighed. “Brother has his struggles. Being too handsome, too dashing—it’s a burden.”

I scoffed. “Share some of that burden with me. If not for the scar you left on my face, I wouldn’t be half bad…” I trailed off.

Shen Yihu downed two shots. “Xiao Qi, about almost killing you… I—I’m sorry.” His eyes glistened, as if holding back tears.

Just then, his phone rang.

“Officer Shen, on the river… Seven corpses are carrying a coffin on the water…”