Once he had calmed down, Ren Yi gradually began to feel the pain in his ribs, his ankle, and both scraped palms.
But he didn’t make a sound, because he clearly saw blood dripping from Gong Yingxian’s arm, one drop after another, landing on the clean pants he had just changed into. Yet Gong Yingxian’s expression remained calm, as though nothing had happened.
Ren Yi couldn’t take it anymore. “Can you still drive? How about I drive?”
Gong Yingxian said nothing.
“Why don’t we just go to the nearest hospital and get it treated? You were just at the hospital a few days ago, and you came out fine. Can you stop being so damn stubborn?”
Gong Yingxian remained silent.
Ren Yi raised his voice. “You’ve got all kinds of random stuff in your car. Couldn’t you at least keep a first-aid kit?”
Gong Yingxian shot him a sidelong glance. “I have a first-aid kit in my car. I also said I would handle it myself, and then you threatened to complain to my superior. Do you have such a bad memory?”
Ren Yi was so annoyed that he almost laughed. “I’m doing this for your own good. What can you do with a first-aid kit? Put on a Band-Aid? You need to clean and disinfect this, then get stitches, and for safety’s sake, you need a tetanus shot. A professional doctor has to handle it.”
He spoke too quickly, making his breathing turn ragged and tugging at his ribs. The pain caused the muscles in his face to contort slightly.
“Then shut up. We’re almost there.”
A few minutes later, the car entered a villa compound and drove into a detached villa with an astonishingly large plot of land.
Ren Yi whistled. “This is your house?”
Although he had already learned from Fu Kai that Gong Yingxian’s home was extraordinary, seeing it in person was still far more shocking. He hadn’t even known there was a place like this in Beijing.
As soon as Gong Yingxian parked, the main gate opened. An elderly gentleman in a suit hurried down the steps, followed by a middle-aged man and woman.
“Young Master!” The elderly gentleman nervously hurried over to Gong Yingxian. “What did your message mean? Are you injured?”
Gong Yingxian raised his arm slightly.
“Oh my…”
The middle-aged man came over. “Young Master, come inside. Let me take a look.”
Gong Yingxian took two steps, then suddenly stopped and turned around.
Ren Yi had just gotten out of the car.
Everyone looked at Ren Yi in surprise.
Gong Yingxian pointed at Ren Yi. “Get him cleaned up first.”
With that, he turned and walked away.
Ren Yi frowned. As a normal human being, he wasn’t particularly accustomed to being stared at as though he were some kind of alien.
The elderly gentleman walked over to him. “You are… May I ask your surname?”
“Hello, my surname is Ren. Ren Yi. I…” For a moment, Ren Yi wasn’t sure what word to use to describe his relationship with Gong Yingxian. Coworkers?
“My surname is Sheng. You can call me Uncle Sheng.” Uncle Sheng’s voice was filled with unmistakable excitement. “It’s a pleasure to have you here, Mr. Ren. The Young Master actually brought a friend home. Oh my, the Young Master brought a friend home!”
“We’re not friends…”
Uncle Sheng enthusiastically took Ren Yi’s hand. “Mr. Ren, would you mind cleaning yourself up first and changing into a clean set of clothes?”
“Oh, sure.”
Uncle Sheng waved to the middle-aged woman, his tone cheerful. “Go get everything ready. The Young Master brought a friend home.”
“I’m not…”
Ren Yi was pulled into the house by Uncle Sheng, who brought him a new set of clothes. As someone who wore training clothes all year round, Ren Yi wasn’t particular about what he wore. But just by touching the fine fabric, which gave off a soft sheen under the lights, he could tell that the clothes were extremely expensive.
While changing, he looked at his ribs in the mirror. They were already covered in bruises. They didn’t feel broken when he touched them, but he couldn’t tell whether there was a hairline fracture.
Once he had changed, he limped out. Uncle Sheng was waiting outside with a warm smile.
“Mr. Ren, did you injure your foot as well?”
“It’s nothing. I just twisted it.”
“Doctor Wang is treating the Young Master’s wounds. He’ll be finished soon. I’ll take you inside to wait. You must be hungry. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”
“It’s so late. I don’t want to trouble you.”
“Not at all, not at all. There’s always someone in the kitchen.”
“Then anything is fine.” Ren Yi really was hungry. He couldn’t help thinking of the salad he had eaten in Gong Yingxian’s car, and casually added, “As long as it’s hot.”
“No problem.”
The two of them crossed the spacious, luxurious living room and went upstairs. When they reached the end of the hallway, Uncle Sheng pushed open a door, revealing a small clinic filled with all kinds of equipment commonly found in hospitals.
Uncle Sheng explained, “The Young Master doesn’t like going to the hospital, so he hired a family doctor.”
Ren Yi thought to himself: Talk about excessive.
Gong Yingxian was sitting on the examination bed while Doctor Wang treated his wound. He had changed into a light-gray set of loungewear, and a few strands of his bangs had fallen down as well. For once, the whole person finally had a hint of ordinary human warmth about him.
Doctor Wang glanced back at Ren Yi. “Sorry, please wait a moment. I’ll be finished soon.”
“It’s fine.” Ren Yi sat to the side, crossing one leg over the other as he looked at Gong Yingxian. “I say, Dr. Gong, your house is way too over-the-top.”
Gong Yingxian showed Ren Yi his arm. A row of wound-closure strips had been applied to it. He said unhappily, “I have these in my car too.”
Ren Yi gave an awkward smile. “A minor injury is still an injury. Did you get a tetanus shot?”
Doctor Wang answered on Gong Yingxian’s behalf. “He did.”
Gong Yingxian said, “Take a look at his ribs.”
A trace of surprise flashed through Ren Yi’s eyes. How did he know his ribs were injured?
Doctor Wang walked over, lifted Ren Yi’s shirt to examine him, then felt along his ribs with his hand. “It shouldn’t be anything serious. Let’s take an X-ray to check.”
“You can take X-rays here too?” Ren Yi couldn’t help clicking his tongue in amazement.
“We have some basic equipment here.”
Ren Yi was taken into the small room next door and given an X-ray.
Doctor Wang shook the film. “It’s fine. There’s no bone injury.”
Ren Yi breathed a sigh of relief.
Doctor Wang treated his sprained ankle and scraped palms, then gave him some anti-inflammatory medication.
Just then, Uncle Sheng returned, smiling brightly. “Young Master, Mr. Ren, why don’t you go to the dining room and have something to eat?”
The two of them went to the dining room. Several steaming dishes were arranged on one side of the table. They were beautifully plated and looked delicious—far too elaborate for what was supposed to be a late-night meal. On the other side of the table, there was only a sandwich and a glass of water.
Ren Yi glanced at Uncle Sheng, feeling a little awkward.
Uncle Sheng quietly said, “It’s all right. The Young Master doesn’t like hot food, and he isn’t used to eating in the middle of the night. Please, have a seat.”
The two of them sat down at the table. Ren Yi glanced at Gong Yingxian and found Gong Yingxian looking at him too.
It was almost as though they were competing with each other. Neither was willing to look away first. They simply stared each other down. Gong Yingxian picked up his sandwich and took a bite, while Ren Yi picked up a piece of steaming hot pork rib and tossed it into his mouth.
The steamed ribs had just come out of the kitchen, and Ren Yi burned himself. He opened his mouth and kept blowing on it, frantically looking around for something to drink. Uncle Sheng quickly handed him some water.
The corner of Gong Yingxian’s mouth lifted almost imperceptibly. He relaxed against the back of his chair, clearly tired as well.
Ren Yi didn’t let the burn on his upper lip stop him. He began eating heartily, saying as he ate, “With food this good, you’re eating that thing?”
Gong Yingxian calmly said, “After you finish eating, go rest for a while. Someone will take you back to the station tomorrow morning.”
“What about you? Are you going to interrogate that guy at the precinct?”
“Of course.”
“I’m going too.”
“Your job is to assist with the fire investigation. Everything else is the police’s job.”
“I’ve already been involved in this much. Do you really think I can just stand by and watch?” Ren Yi insisted. “I’m going too. I want to know as soon as possible whether that bastard really is the arsonist.”
Gong Yingxian hesitated for a moment. “Fine.”
The more Ren Yi ate, the more appetizing the food seemed. Perhaps all the blood supply in his brain had already rushed to his stomach. He spoke casually, “Your family is so rich, and you’ve got all these strange quirks. Why do you insist on making things difficult for yourself by becoming a police officer?”
Uncle Sheng’s expression changed beside them. He secretly glanced at Gong Yingxian and tried to change the subject.
“Young Master, would you like another one?”
Gong Yingxian calmly took a sip of water. “It has nothing to do with you.”
Ren Yi was rendered speechless. He let out a cold snort. “You’re right. I was sticking my nose where it didn’t belong.”
Gong Yingxian stood up and left.
Uncle Sheng said apologetically, “Mr. Ren, please don’t take it to heart.”
Ren Yi grinned. “Don’t worry. If I took everything he said to heart, he would’ve pissed me to death already.”
Uncle Sheng gave a bitter smile. “After all these years, you’re the first friend the Young Master has ever brought home. We’re all especially happy.”
“I’m not his friend. We just work together.” Ren Yi said it bluntly.
The light in Uncle Sheng’s eyes visibly dimmed, and Ren Yi immediately felt a little regretful.
Uncle Sheng smiled again. “The Young Master brought you home, so he must trust you. I believe you two will become friends.”
Ren Yi gave a mocking smile. He didn’t care whether he could become friends with Gong Yingxian. He just hoped he could finish his work without getting so damn angry all the time.
After dinner, Ren Yi was taken to a guest room. He had been busy for most of the night and was both exhausted and uncomfortable. The moment his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep.
——
After dawn, Ren Yi had another sumptuous breakfast at Gong Yingxian’s house. Then the two of them headed to Hongwu District Police Station, though this time they had a dedicated driver.
When they arrived at the station, Gong Yingxian went straight to the interrogation room. The man they had caught yesterday had apparently spent the entire night sitting in the interrogation room and was so sleepy that his head kept nodding.
The moment he saw them enter, the man glared at them with bloodshot eyes and shouted, “I didn’t set the fire! You can’t just arrest people without evidence!”
Gong Yingxian pulled out a chair and sat down. He asked coldly, “Name, age, place of origin, ID number.”
The man hesitated before answering honestly. “Zhou Chuan, twenty-five, from Gu City…”
Gong Yingxian questioned him in detail about his circumstances and learned that he had attended university at Tianqi University, then worked as a programmer at an internet company after graduation. He had quit a year ago and had been unemployed ever since.
Gong Yingxian had a colleague verify Zhou Chuan’s basic information. Everything was accurate.
Gong Yingxian asked, “Why were you there last night? Why did your camera contain so many photos and videos?”
“I was just curious. What’s wrong with taking some pictures? What law says I can’t go there? Why did you arrest me like I’m a criminal?”
Ren Yi said sternly, “Didn’t you see the seals? What do you think those seals were for?!”
Zhou Chuan trembled slightly. “E-Even if there were seals, and I shouldn’t have gone in, that doesn’t mean it’s a crime, right? I’m not a law student, but I still know basic common sense about the law.”
“If you had any legal common sense, you wouldn’t risk breaking the law by disturbing a crime scene just to satisfy your curiosity.” Gong Yingxian glared at him. “Don’t treat us like idiots. If you don’t come clean, I’ll list you as the primary suspect in the arson case and investigate you accordingly.”
“I didn’t set the fire!” Zhou Chuan shouted. “I really didn’t set the fire! I was just curious! I only took some pictures! I didn’t do anything! I didn’t break the law!”
“You’re lying!” Gong Yingxian slammed his hand against the table. “If you still refuse to tell the truth, I’ll investigate every place you’ve been over the past six months, every transaction you’ve made, every person you’ve contacted or communicated with, and every trace you’ve left online. The moment I find even the slightest suspicious detail, I’ll dig deeper and broader. You’d better have nothing to hide, because otherwise, I guarantee you won’t have a word to say when I put the evidence in front of you!”
Zhou Chuan’s face turned deathly pale with fear. His lips trembled, and he looked as though he was about to cry.
Ren Yi tapped the table. “I suggest you know when to cooperate. Once we uncover everything ourselves, you’ll lose your chance to turn yourself in. You’re so young. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life in prison?”
“No, no, please! I’ll tell you!” Zhou Chuan shouted hoarsely.
“Talk.”
“I…I was doing livestreams.”
Ren Yi narrowed his eyes. “Livestreams? The kind you do online?”
Zhou Chuan nodded.
“Where were you doing these livestreams? What platform allows you to post this kind of livestream?”
“It wasn’t domestic.” Zhou Chuan bit his lip. “It was the kind where you can’t trace the server.”
“You can’t trace the server?”
“Yeah. Unregulated platforms, like porn sites. Their servers are overseas, and they use proxies for login IPs, so they’re difficult to track. You can’t find them through search engines.”
Gong Yingxian thought for a moment. “Something like…the dark web?”
“Yes.” Zhou Chuan’s expression was gloomy. “I was doing livestreams, and uploading photos and videos, just to make money.”
“Someone paid you to go to the scene after a fire occurred?”
Zhou Chuan nodded. “If the place is still on fire, it’s worth more.”
Ren Yi clenched his fists, a grim look flashing across his face.
Zhou Chuan flinched.
Gong Yingxian’s expression grew increasingly grim. “Be specific.”
“Some perverts just have that kind of fetish. They like watching this sort of thing.” Zhou Chuan sniffed. “I was only making a living off it. I know it isn’t exactly right, but I really didn’t set the fire.”
Gong Yingxian opened Zhou Chuan’s laptop and pulled up the search engine. “Which one?”
“The first one,” Zhou Chuan said. “But when you went there, my livestream was interrupted. Once they found out, they probably canceled the website address already.”
Gong Yingxian stared at the screen. Sure enough, the webpage displayed an error.
“Who are ‘they’?”
“I don’t know either. All I ever dealt with were some IDs. I don’t know who operated the website or who the viewers were.”
“Then how did you get paid?”
“Cryptocurrency, something like Bitcoin. The blockchain platform we used for transactions is a completely free ‘market.’ Anyone can trade there, and you can also cash out.”
“What’s the relationship between this platform and the website?” Ren Yi asked.
“There isn’t one.” Zhou Chuan frowned. “Or rather, no one knows whether there is a relationship. The market is just a market. The whole point of blockchain is decentralization. This ‘market’ doesn’t have an owner. Everyone can be an owner, and anyone can use the currency in this ‘market’ to trade.”
Gong Yingxian said to Ren Yi, “Cryptocurrency transactions are complicated. I’ll have our colleagues who specialize in cybercrime assist us. If what this person says is true, it’s possible the actual arsonist is hiding behind the screen.”
“But an arsonist wouldn’t be satisfied with merely watching from behind a screen. They can hardly resist the urge to go to the scene and relive the experience.” Although Ren Yi didn’t understand criminal investigation, he had read quite a few books related to arson cases in order to do his job well.
“Right. If we can find the people who watched the livestream and compare them with the photos and videos recorded at the scene, we might be able to identify that person.”
Ren Yi sighed. Perhaps because he hadn’t slept well, his head felt swollen and heavy, and he was groggy. He had originally thought that once they discovered the alcohol lamp, the case would be solved. He hadn’t expected it to lead to so many more complications. And the biggest problem with this case was that, even now, they still couldn’t determine whether the incident had been an accident or arson.