The two of them looked over together, and sure enough, two men appeared at the mouth of the alley. The taller one had a build and silhouette similar to the hooded man they had seen in the surveillance footage.
Cai Qiang’s voice came through the radio. “Damn, I was only gone for two minutes.”
Gong Yingxian said, “When they reach the garbage bins by the street, we’ll surround them from the front and back. Try not to cause a disturbance. Cai Qiang, go directly to their rented apartment and see if there’s anyone left behind.”
As he spoke, he opened the car door and got out.
Ren Yi also opened the door to follow him, but Gong Yingxian turned around and forcefully pushed the door shut again.
“Stay in the car.”
Ren Yi was quite unhappy about that. He lowered the window and said, “Last time, I let you participate in my work.”
“That was because you invited me. Now I’m asking you to stay in the car.” Gong Yingxian’s attitude was firm. “Don’t get out.”
Ren Yi pouted.
Gong Yingxian straightened his tie, turned around, and walked toward the suspects. Two plainclothes officers got out of the van and approached from another direction.
When Gong Yingxian was only a few dozen meters away from the hooded man, the hooded man spotted him and visibly froze for a moment.
Ren Yi thought to himself that Gong Yingxian probably had no awareness of how striking his appearance was. Looking that conspicuous, he really wasn’t suited for going out to catch criminals.
Sure enough, whether the hooded man had become suspicious or had recognized Gong Yingxian, he said something to his accomplice, and the two suddenly turned around and ran.
The police immediately gave chase.
The two suspects split up and ran in different directions into the alleys, disappearing into the chaotic residential neighborhood.
Gong Yingxian chased after the hooded man, while ordering his two colleagues to pursue the accomplice.
The hooded man had a previous record of injuring people and was considered a violent criminal. Ren Yi knew that in such a densely populated area, the police couldn’t fire unless absolutely necessary. First, they were afraid of injuring civilians; second, they were afraid of causing panic.
Ren Yi couldn’t stop worrying about Gong Yingxian. He pushed open the car door, jumped out, and chased after them.
The hooded man was obviously very familiar with the area. He desperately darted into the narrow alleys.
The alleys were filled with the thick atmosphere of everyday life: clothes hanging out to dry, grain spread out in the sun, small grocery stalls, vendors roasting chestnuts, all scattered throughout the maze of alleyways.
The infrastructure here was poor. The roads were full of potholes, the buildings were dilapidated, and the stench of garbage and wastewater permeated everywhere.
Ren Yi followed Gong Yingxian’s figure from a distance, thinking that although Gong Yingxian could be fussy about things in his daily life, when it came to handling a case, he had never hesitated over anything dirty or exhausting.
It showed just how steadfast he was.
Gong Yingxian shouted sharply, “Stop! Police!”
Some residents who saw what was happening hurriedly moved out of the way.
The hooded man was in good physical condition and ran very quickly. Gong Yingxian stayed close behind him, his handmade leather shoes repeatedly landing awkwardly on the uneven pavement. They were hardly suitable for running, but he still gradually closed the distance.
Finally, the hooded man ran deeper and deeper into the area, then, in his panic, turned into a dead-end alley.
“Stop running!”
The hooded man looked back at Gong Yingxian, then suddenly leaped onto a large garbage bin against the wall. He bounced upward again and grabbed hold of the wall.
Gong Yingxian had already reached the garbage bin. He reached out to grab him but missed his foot, and the hooded man flipped over the wall.
Just as Ren Yi turned into the alley, he saw Gong Yingxian leap up from the spot, use the garbage-bin lid as leverage, and nimbly vault over the wall.
As a firefighter, climbing walls with his bare hands and leaping over beams and rooftops were all skills Ren Yi had trained for. Without hesitation, he followed right after him.
The moment Gong Yingxian landed, he grabbed half of a broom lying by his feet and threw it at the hooded man.
The broom struck the hooded man in the back, but he merely staggered for a moment and continued running for his life.
Gong Yingxian had just climbed over the garbage bin and was already burning with anger. He accelerated forward, sprinted after him, then leaped and tackled the hooded man to the ground.
The hooded man shouted and struggled desperately. Gong Yingxian punched him twice.
Suddenly, the man swung his arm free. From the corner of his eye, Gong Yingxian caught a flash of silver-white metal in the darkness.
There was no time to see what it was. Gong Yingxian instinctively dodged to the side.
Then he heard the sound of a blade slicing through fabric.
Something hit the ground with a sharp clack.
Gong Yingxian rolled twice across the ground before steadying himself. He half-crouched and looked down.
A long slash had torn open the left armpit of his suit jacket, and the strap of the shoulder holster had also been cut.
His service pistol had fallen to the ground between the two of them—closer to the hooded man.
The hooded man was holding a dagger, his expression ferocious. His eyes kept darting toward the gun on the ground. Because of the dim lighting, he stared for two seconds before confirming that it was a firearm.
Gong Yingxian stood up with a dark expression, roughly tore open his suit buttons, took off his jacket, and threw it onto the ground.
At that moment, Ren Yi also climbed over the wall and landed nimbly.
Gong Yingxian froze for a moment and shot Ren Yi a vicious glare.
Seeing the hooded man quickly bend down to pick up the gun, he immediately charged forward.
The hooded man grabbed the gun with one hand and swung the dagger with the other, viciously stabbing at Gong Yingxian.
Gong Yingxian dodged sideways, seized his arm, and yanked his entire body forward. His other hand caught the man’s wrist and twisted it violently downward.
The hooded man screamed and was forced to release the dagger.
Then he drove his foot toward Gong Yingxian’s groin.
That kind of dirty move had most likely been learned in prison. Gong Yingxian had no choice but to release his hand and retreat two steps.
The hooded man took advantage of the opportunity, opened the holster clasp, and pulled out the pistol.
Ren Yi shouted anxiously, “Watch out!”
He rushed over.
Gong Yingxian swept out with his long leg, striking the hooded man’s lower leg and knocking him down.
The hooded man’s eyes were filled with madness. He actually turned the muzzle toward Gong Yingxian.
Gong Yingxian shot out a kick and struck the man’s wrist. The gun flew from his hand.
Gong Yingxian kicked again, viciously driving his foot into the hooded man’s stomach.
The hooded man rolled several times across the ground, groaning as he still tried to get back up.
Gong Yingxian removed his handcuffs from his belt, kicked the hooded man back to the ground, and swiftly cuffed him.
The entire process took no more than a dozen seconds. It was already over before Ren Yi could run over.
He was stunned by Gong Yingxian’s ruthlessness and efficiency.
Only after cuffing the man did Gong Yingxian let out a breath. His gaze at the hooded man was icy.
Ren Yi looked at the hooded man, who was still struggling, but the image of him pointing the gun at Gong Yingxian remained frozen in his mind.
He was still shaken.
Gong Yingxian picked up his service pistol from the ground and said coldly, “You don’t even know how to take off the safety, and you still dare to use a gun?”
Ren Yi finally came back to himself. Looking at Gong Yingxian’s torn clothing, he asked in a trembling voice, “Are you… are you okay?”
Gong Yingxian shouted angrily, “I told you to stay in the car!”
He had been apprehending a violent suspect with a criminal record—and one who knew that he would certainly face the death penalty if caught.
When dealing with someone like that, any dangerous situation could happen.
When Ren Yi appeared, Gong Yingxian’s gun had been lying right beside the suspect’s feet. At that instant, his heart had practically jumped into his throat.
Ren Yi finally seized the opportunity and quickly said, “You fucking understand why I was angry last time now, don’t you!”
Normally, whenever the two of them exchanged words, Gong Yingxian always won.
This time, he was momentarily rendered speechless.
But he quickly shouted even louder, “You still dare talk back!”
“I…” Ren Yi looked at Gong Yingxian’s expression, which was already on the verge of fury, and remembered the way he had just subdued the suspect.
He immediately lost his nerve.
“…Are you injured?”
Gong Yingxian took a deep breath. “This kind of scum can’t hurt me.”
He looked down at himself, covered in dirt and grime, and felt uncomfortable all over.
He roughly hauled the hooded man up from the ground and escorted him forward.
Ren Yi followed close behind, repeatedly sneaking glances at Gong Yingxian.
By the time they left the residential area and returned to where they had been staking out earlier, two police cars were already waiting.
Both suspects were loaded into the vehicles.
Cai Qiang looked at Gong Yingxian, who was filthy from head to toe, and winced.
“Ah, Dr. Gong. You’ve really been through it.”
Gong Yingxian threw his gloves into a trash can, opened the trunk, and took out disinfectant. He immediately began spraying himself with it.
Ren Yi walked over. “Do you want me to—”
Gong Yingxian turned his wrist and sprayed Ren Yi furiously.
Ren Yi helplessly closed his eyes, breathing in the pungent smell of alcohol.
Only after the bottle was empty did Ren Yi ask, “Where are you going to clean yourself up?”
Gong Yingxian gave him a sidelong glance. “Back to the precinct. Get in.”
The two of them were silent the entire way, and the atmosphere inside the car was suffocating.
When they arrived at the precinct, Gong Yingxian took a clean suit and a pair of shoes from the trunk. Without even looking at Ren Yi, he walked straight into the precinct.
Ren Yi didn’t even have time to express his dissatisfaction. He was more concerned about the hooded man’s interrogation.
Cai Qiang brought Ren Yi inside.
It was already well past quitting time, but quite a few people were still on duty or working overtime. The entire precinct was brightly lit, and the newly arrested suspects had caused quite a stir.
Cai Qiang brought Ren Yi to the monitoring room next to the interrogation room.
From there, they could see and hear what was happening inside the interrogation room, while the people inside couldn’t see them.
The hooded man was slumped loosely in his chair, his eyes vacant. It was unclear whether Gong Yingxian’s kicks had drained his strength or whether he knew he was finished and simply no longer cared about anything.
Cai Qiang pulled over a chair and smiled.
“Have a seat, Captain Ren. You’ve contributed quite a lot to this case. You helped us with the fire investigation, and now you’ve even personally joined us in catching a criminal.”
Ren Yi laughed at himself. “How was I supposed to know it would be this exciting?”
“You’re practically becoming an honorary member of our team.”
Fifteen minutes later, Ren Yi saw the interrogation-room door open.
Gong Yingxian had changed into a brand-new iron-gray suit from head to toe. Even his messy hair had been neatly arranged again. There wasn’t the slightest trace of the disheveled, filthy state from earlier.
Cai Qiang joked, “It would be such a shame if Dr. Gong didn’t become a celebrity.”
Ren Yi also smiled.
Gong Yingxian sat across from the hooded man and tapped the table, beginning with the routine questions about his basic information.
The hooded man didn’t say a single word.
He merely looked at Gong Yingxian with a mocking expression.
Gong Yingxian was silent for a moment before his voice came through the monitor again.
“What? You think staying silent is going to help you?”
“I just can’t be bothered to talk nonsense.” The hooded man lifted his chin and sneered. “Why don’t you ask something interesting?”
“What counts as interesting?” Gong Yingxian asked. “Were you the one who started the fire in Apartment 2209 of Wanyuan Residential Community?”
The hooded man straightened up.
He even leaned forward, staring directly at Gong Yingxian.
“I know you.”
Gong Yingxian’s expression remained blank. “My personal information was exposed in that perverted gathering place of yours. It’s normal for you to know me.”
“No. I know you more deeply than those things ever could.”
The hooded man revealed a vicious grin.
“The little boy in the newspaper eighteen years ago. Who would have thought you’d grow up looking so respectable?”
Gong Yingxian’s expression changed.
“What did you say?”
Ren Yi shot to his feet, his expression turning grim as well.
Cai Qiang was also stunned.
The hooded man burst into loud laughter.
Gong Yingxian slammed his hand against the table, blood rushing straight to his head.
“What did you say?!”
“I said…” The hooded man wore a malicious smile. “Young Master Gong, do you still remember that ‘bird’?”
Gong Yingxian’s eyes widened, his pupils contracting violently.
As if electrocuted, he shot up from his chair, rounded the table in one step, grabbed the hooded man, and slammed him hard against the wall.
The hooded man’s handcuffs were still chained to the table. Gong Yingxian’s movement was so forceful that he actually dragged the table along with him, producing a harsh screech.
Cai Qiang immediately rushed out of the monitoring room.
Ren Yi followed.
“What did you say?! What did you say?!” Gong Yingxian roared at the hooded man.
His eyes were blood-red, his expression savage as a beast.
Cai Qiang rushed over and restrained Gong Yingxian.
“Dr. Gong, let go! Hurry, let him go!”
Ren Yi also grabbed Gong Yingxian.
But Gong Yingxian clung tightly to the hooded man, refusing to release him. All he could do was shout, “What did you say?!”
He had completely lost his reason.
Ren Yi shouted, “Gong Yingxian, let go! If you get disciplined, you won’t be able to interrogate him!”
Ren Yi’s voice struck like a thunderclap, jolting Gong Yingxian back to his senses.
His entire body froze.
Taking advantage of the moment when Gong Yingxian relaxed his grip, the two of them pulled the hooded man away from him.
Cai Qiang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
“Thank goodness nobody was around at this hour. Otherwise, we’d be in trouble.”
He frowned.
“Dr. Gong, what happened to you? This is the first time I’ve ever seen you this emotionally unstable. Let’s call it a day. Don’t interrogate him anymore. Go home and get some rest.”
Gong Yingxian remained frozen in place.
His lips moved faintly, but he couldn’t speak.
Ren Yi gave Cai Qiang a look, signaling him to take the hooded man away.
Cai Qiang immediately escorted the man out.
Ren Yi looked at Gong Yingxian’s pale face.
He knew that whatever the hooded man had said must have been connected to what happened to Gong Yingxian’s entire family eighteen years ago.
His reaction wasn’t strange at all.
“Dr. G-Gong.” Ren Yi spoke softly. “Calm down. Take a deep breath.”
Gong Yingxian slowly raised his eyes and stared at Ren Yi.
“Take a deep breath.”
Ren Yi demonstrated, inhaling and exhaling.
“No matter what you heard, no matter what happened, the most important thing you need to do right now is calm down.”
But the redness around Gong Yingxian’s eyes gradually became clouded with tears, and his body began to tremble slightly.
Ren Yi’s heart felt as though it had been struck by a heavy hammer.
Unable to control himself, he reached out and held Gong Yingxian by the neck, his thumb gently stroking his delicate cheek.
“You can tell me. You don’t have to carry it alone. You can tell me, but you absolutely cannot act impulsively.”
Gong Yingxian’s eyes widened as he fought to keep the tears from falling.
In a hoarse voice, he said, “Bird… the bird mask.”
“What?”
“That person… was wearing… a bird mask.”
After saying those words, the focus began to drain from Gong Yingxian’s eyes. He could barely breathe.
Suddenly, he threw his arms around Ren Yi.
It was like a person about to fall desperately reaching for something that could save him.
He held him tightly.
Ren Yi also wrapped his arms around that broad back, his heart aching so badly that he couldn’t speak.
Why now?
Why did it have to be at this moment?
As Ren Yi clearly felt the pain in his heart, felt the unbearable compassion and tenderness, grieving for what Gong Yingxian grieved over and raging at what angered him—
at the moment when he could no longer avoid it or deceive himself—
he finally had no choice but to admit it.
He had fallen for the man in his arms.