After a slightly strained dinner, the s...o...b.. Gang bids farewell to Luo Lang, but something about him has piqued Bo Jinyan"s interest, and not in a good way. Meanwhile, the hunt is on! Bo Jinyan targets a fugitive he thinks the b.u.t.terfly Killer will also go after. Who will get to him first?

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Chapter 88

After eating a few more chopstick-fulls, Luo Lang said, "I have a friend who knows an ophthalmologist, do you guys need me to make an introduction?" His tone of voice sounded very sincere and peaceful. Jian Yao lifted her head and gazed at Bo Jinyan, An Yan kept his head down, eating.

Bo Jinyan answered, "There"s no need. I"ve already tried all the best in the U.S. There"s no use. Thanks."

Luo Lang quietened, while Jian Yao felt her heart give a twinge. Suddenly, her hand under the table was squeezed again by Bo Jinyan, gripped tightly, very tightly. Jian Yao faintly trembled, her thumb lightly rubbed the back of his hand, and his hand finally relaxed.

Suddenly, Luo Lang quieted down for a bit, before speaking again, "Jinyan, Jian Yao, I have a presumptuous request." He smiled, "When you guys have your first child, may I be the child"s G.o.dfather?"

He gazed at them, that pair of eyes full of absolute sincerity and expectation. Hearing his words, An Yan lifted his head suddenly, and his black eyes stared at Bo Jinyan.

Bo Jinyan was silent for a little, then answered, "Sorry, I"m afraid I cannot accept your friendly sentiments. Because our child can only have one G.o.dfather."

The corners of An Yan"s mouth momentarily rose.

And then he heard Bo Jinyan lightly say, "It"s Fu Ziyu."

Right after he said those words, everyone was silent.

At that moment Fang Qing walked in; in the face of a formidable enemy, he didn"t want to bother his friends with his personal troubles, so actually, he was kind of absent-minded when he asked, "What are you guys chatting about?"

Jian Yao laughingly replied, "We"re chatting about future children."

At that point, Luo Lang also laughed, and asked, "And so when do you guys plan on having one?" This G.o.dfather topic was put aside for now.

Jian Yao didn"t say anything.

Bo Jinyan very a.s.suredly replied, "Next year." Jian Yao took a look at him.

Because his action of sitting down was a little large, Fang Qing accidentally knocked down the backpack that was hanging from the back of the chair, and the stack of files inside the bag also fell out. He immediately bent down to pick them up, Luo Lang who was beside him also reached out his hand to help.

Luo Lang looked at the files in his hand and smiled, "An arrest warrant? What, does this person have something to do with the b.u.t.terfly Killer case?"

Fang Qing immediately took the files back from Luo Lang"s hands to put them away, saying, "Lao Luo, don"t ask about this anymore."

Luo Lang smiled carelessly, "I"m just casually asking."

Everyone continued to eat. It was only because each person had something on their minds, the atmosphere for the meal of hotpot was a little quiet. After they finished eating, Luo Lang didn"t wait for anyone to react before he got the bill, and then hailed a cab. Before getting into the car, he smiled towards them as he said, "All the best, when you are investigating, remember to stay safe. Next time we"re all back in Beijing, let"s get together again!"

Everyone stood on the side of the road, waving him goodbye. Jian Yao looked at Luo Lang the whole time, but not once did he look at her as he slid into the car, not even looking back as he left.

The police station was not far from where they were eating, Fang Qing and An Yan, understanding the situation and trying to be tactful, left first, leaving Bo Jinyan and Jian Yao to bring up the rear, hand in hand.

The moonlight poured down on them as the shadows of the trees shook lightly. The road before them was perfectly straight.

"What do you think of Luo Lang?" Jian Yao asked.

Bo Jinyan replied, "Reserved, sensitive, sorrowful, and tenacious."

Jian Yao was shocked, while his expression remained calm.

"I don"t like him," he continued. "He has a cryptic temperament, difficult to discern."

Jian Yao was briefly quiet before saying, "Let"s check out Luo Lang, then."

However, the overall work of the special investigation task force was not going to pause due to this little episode.

One day later.

Bo Jinyan had determined his target.

It was a criminal who had gone on the run earlier this year, an out and out violent ruffian. His name was Chang Baoshi, and his nickname within the jianghu was "Chang Er"*. He had been discharged from the army, where he used to be a special forces soldier. Murder and arson, robbery and rape – he had done it all. Earlier in the year, his accomplices had been captured in a police dragnet in one fell swoop, and only he had made a thrilling escape. This guy was so bold and so crafty, he had managed to evade capture for several months. Now, the word on the street was that he was in Hunan.

*T/N "Er" = two. It might be that he is the second in command of a gang, or there is a more prominent gangster surnamed "Chang".

Bo Jinyan said, "The b.u.t.terfly Killer has specialised in killing violent bandits in recent years, and all other criminal fugitives pale in comparison to Chang Baoshi. He will definitely choose him, because it has an impact on his pride as a top-notch serial killer."

The others had nothing to say. Only Jian Yao nodded solemnly as she said, "That makes sense."

Why is it that a vile and callous serial killer, in the words of this husband and wife pair, would be brought to life so vividly? "Pale in comparison", "his pride as a top-notch serial killer" . . .

Bo Jinyan turned his head so he faced Fang Qing. "What happens next is in your hands. Pursuing a suspect is what you criminal investigators excel at."

Fang Qing did not even blink as he responded, "Okay!"

Hunan had many mountains and was exquisitely beautiful. Although it had the most vaunted landscape in the entire country, she also had the most hip entertainment vibe in the entire country. However, after the pa.s.sage of several years, apart from several big cities, the development in the other medium and small cities had been stagnant and mediocre for the past decades. It was the same with the people of Hunan. They were upright and honest, yet with a hint of shrewdness, and that shrewdness carried with it a sense of being at a loss. Yet, it also seemed that restlessness was in the blood of the Hunan people, as well as the trait of being as tough as nails. As a result, the soil of Hunan gave forth many generals, as well as the most crazed and unstable serial killers and ruthless bandits in all of China, such as Zhang Jun* and his gang. That"s enough said about the matter.

T/N 张君 (Zhang Jun) – a notorious robber and serial killer in China. See here for more details.

Fang Qing left first for Hunan to pursue the criminal for five days.

Originally, the Ministry of Public Security had set up a team to pursue all leads pertaining to Chang Baoshi, and this team was now augmented by a fresh influx of police officers from the special investigation team. Hundreds of troops tightly surrounded the southern mountains where Chang Baoshi was hiding. On the evening of the fifth day, Fang Qing called Bo Jinyan and said, "The fish is about to be caught in the net, you guys can come over now."

This was a quiet village comprising just over twenty households, situated in a basin amidst the hills. It was far away from the city, so the houses were dilapidated, and the land, though vast, was spa.r.s.ely populated.

It was a very sunny day. The cloudless blue sky, with the high sun, stretched on forever. However, as it was autumn, this mountain region was not too hot. It was still cool and tranquil.

Fang Qing and the other criminal investigators rushed to the front lines of the circular blockade, while Jian Yao, Bo Jinyan and An Yan followed behind with the rest of the back-up force. An Yan was constantly checking the map on his laptop, scrutinising the topography of the surroundings, the weather, and even changes in the distant traffic patterns. Jian Yao stayed by Bo Jinyan"s side, not leaving him for a moment.

From the distance, there seemed to be no movement in the village. Occasionally, a villager walked past, but a hand would instantly shoot out to grab that person and pull him to cover. If you looked closely, you would see that many houses and fences, as well as the surroundings, had criminal investigators pressed closely against the walls, all on the alert. Their objective was the grey, old, low building that was the furthest away.

Jian Yao and the others were waiting outside the circle.

Suddenly, there were movements among the criminal investigators. One by one, in plain clothes, they rushed towards the building like cheetahs.

"He left the house much earlier by the back!" someone shouted loudly.

The criminal investigators speedily closed in.

Behind the building was the forest, and behind that, the mountains. Without a doubt, Chang Baoshi had chosen the terrain he was most familiar with, and had fled into the mountains. Fast in speed and sharp in his responses, it was likely that he had noticed the police as soon as they had stepped into the village, and had subsequently fled.

"Chase after him!" Bo Jinyan said. He and the others quickly followed.

This mountain was very difficult to climb as the terrain was rugged and there was no path. Bo Jinyan could not see and had to rely on his walking stick. Although he was tall and long-legged and pressed forward fearlessly, he and Jian Yao slowly fell behind. Even An Yan had run to the front, unable to contain his excitement.

Jian Yao was unperturbed, and so was Bo Jinyan. They continued to follow the sound of the voices.

Chang Baoshi ran to a rocky overhang and looked back nervously, but there was no one following him for the time being. He leaned against the rock wall, panting heavily. He looked to be about 40 years old, give or take a few years, and was tall and st.u.r.dy. He was wearing the poor-quality shirt and grey pants common to the local farmers; the pants were rolled up and his legs were covered in mud. He really looked just like a farmer. He even wore a straw hat on his head with the brim pulled down sharply so no one could see his face clearly.

After resting for a while, he vaguely heard the sound of footsteps catching up to him. His heart swelled with apprehension and he turned to continue running. Suddenly, he broke out into a cold sweat.

A gun barrel.

A black handgun, protruding from the shadow by the rock face, was pointing right at his forehead.

Translator: Clue

Editor/ Proofreader: Anks