C19 The Rabbit's Tail Won't Grow!

"It's truly bizarre, even more so than the detective movies I've made! What happened next?" Zhang Jin Tao found himself intrigued.

"There was no 'next.' The killer vanished without a trace, leaving not a single piece of evidence behind, not even a fingerprint. It points to one thing: they're masters at eluding detection. Today, they slipped up, and we caught Hu Yang. Do you think we can just let him walk free?"

"Okay, I'll go and have a word with my cousin. Hopefully, she won't be fooled by Hu Yang any longer."

Once Zhang Jin Tao had left, Lee Yiming ventured a question, "Chief Lyu, Hu Yang got a pretty rough handling from Lee Mangniu. He doesn't seem like the boss of the killers. Could he actually be the puppet master?"

"What I said was for Zhang Jin Tao's ears only. Jin Nanyu was nearly beaten to a critical state yesterday. His father runs a publicly traded company in our city and is a major financier for the city government. His only beloved son was attacked. We owe them an explanation," Lyu Jun replied icily.

Lee Yiming had an epiphany. "I get it now. Chief Lyu, you were just playing along for Director Zhang's sake, weren't you?"

"Zhang Jin Tao's push to bail out Hu Yang is because Hu Yang helped Hsiao Xinya out of a tight spot yesterday. You know what would have happened if she'd ended up in Jin Nanyu's clutches. Zhang Jin Tao is likely feeling indebted, which is why he came to advocate for Hu Yang."

Lee Yiming gave Lyu Jun a thumbs-up, admiringly saying, "You're always one step ahead, Chief. Smooth as silk!"

He then asked with caution, "Should we interrogate Hu Yang now?"

"No need. The higher-ups are taking this seriously. They'll send someone by this afternoon at the latest to conduct the interrogation themselves. We don't need to lift a finger," Lyu Jun stated, his expression steely.

In the prison at midday, food and medication were delivered, including ointment for the wounds and some anti-inflammatory pills—likely out of concern that Hu Yang might be beaten to death.

Hu Yang sat on his bed, legs crossed, while Lee Mangniu's left hand was swollen like a blood-soaked bun. He dared not groan, though, because Hu Yang had warned him that it was a minor injury. Any complaints that disturbed Hu Yang's peace of mind would result in Lee Mangniu's hand being chopped off.

Hu Yang sensed a change within himself. As he withdrew the knife from Lee Mangniu's palm, a surprising sense of relief washed over him.

Just after 3 PM, before the officials had arrived, two women entered—one of them, a young woman, had her forehead wrapped in a medical bandage. It was none other than Lin Xin and her mother, Hsu Lili.

"Mom, why are we here?" Lin Xin asked, puzzled.

"That scoundrel hurt you badly. I won't let him off easily," Hsu Lili said with a cold laugh. "Deputy Chief Lyu from the police station was my high school classmate. If you want revenge, I'll make sure you get it."

Lin Xin's eyes lit up with anticipation. "He nearly beat me senseless last night, not to mention disfiguring me. I want to hit him back twice as hard today!"

"If he's really loaded, then we should definitely make him pay," Hsu Lili said, a smug glint in her eye, revealing her true intentions for being there.

Upon hearing of Hsu Lili's arrival, Lyu Jun hurried out to greet her.

"Old classmate, if you hadn't called the police when you did, capturing Hu Yang, that felon, wouldn't have been easy," Lyu Jun chuckled.

"In that case, you owe us a big thank you, don't you think?" Hsu Lili replied with a smile.

"Absolutely, I must thank you! So, what would you like me to do to show my gratitude?" Lyu Jun asked cheerfully.

"You're just a salaried guy; the most you could do is treat us to a meal. What other thanks could you offer? Here's an idea: bring Hu Yang out. We'd like a word with him in private," Hsu Lili stated directly.

"What do you want to talk to him about?" Lyu Jun inquired, taken aback.

"That's my concern, not yours! Lyu, I'm aware of your protocols, and I won't ask you to break them," Hsu Lili insisted, standing her ground.

Lyu Jun found himself in a difficult position. "What's the matter? Can't handle this small request? Don't worry, Chief, I'm not here for a prison visit. I just want to ask him a few questions," Hsu Lili said, clearly annoyed.

"Old classmate, it's not about whether you're related or not. Even if you were his mother, you couldn't see him now. He's implicated in several murder cases, and if things go south, the authorities might just have him executed!"

"Is it really that serious?" Hsu Lili expressed her surprise.

"Absolutely. The authorities will be sending someone to interrogate him soon. I doubt he has much longer to live!"

"I can't believe Hu Yang was playing the good guy right in front of me. I'm so glad I didn't fall for it!" Lin Xin clutched her chest, visibly shaken and nervous.

Hsu Lili fixed her gaze on Lyu Jun, resolute. "Then I must see him one more time. There's still unfinished business between him and my daughter!"

"Fine, fine, fine. I'll make an exception for you, just this once. Don't expect it to happen again!" Lyu Jun stood up, resigned to the situation, and agreed to her request.

Lee Yiming was taken aback when he summoned Hu Yang from his cell. He scrutinized him but found no marks on Hu Yang's face.

What was even more baffling was that Hu Yang's wrists were bare, despite being handcuffed earlier that morning.

"Where's the handcuff?" Lee Yiming asked, puzzled.

"Inside," Hu Yang responded coolly.

"How did you get it off?" Lee Yiming realized what had happened and pressed for an answer.

Hu Yang gave him a chilling look and stated, "It fell off on its own."

"That's impossible! I made sure they were on tight. How could they just fall off?" Lee Yiming argued, his face stern.

"If you don't believe me, go ask the handcuffs," Hu Yang retorted.

"Kid, you've got some nerve talking to me like that. Believe me, I can straighten you out right here, right now!" Lee Yiming was visibly irritated, having never encountered such insolence from a prisoner before.

"No need. Save your energy," Hu Yang replied, unfazed.

Lee Yiming scoffed and regarded Hu Yang with contempt. "You're smart to know your place."

Hu Yang's system immediately awarded him 237 points. He glowered and said icily, "You're no match for me. Why bother making things worse for yourself?"

"Kid, you've got quite an attitude! Just so you know, I won the sanda championship in last year's prison competition!"

Despite his words, Lee Yiming's right hand drew a pistol and aimed it at Hu Yang's forehead, while his left hand launched a vicious hook punch towards him.

He had his plan all figured out, thinking that with Hu Yang at gunpoint, the man wouldn't dare make a move, allowing him to easily hook punch Hu Yang's lower jaw.

But as his fist flew out, he was shocked to find it thudding against something unyielding, unable to advance even an inch. A sidelong glance revealed Hu Yang's palm, firmly intercepting his punch.

Lee Yiming quickly jostled the pistol in his right hand, an attempt to intimidate Hu Yang.