Chapter 23: As Luck Would Have It

Zhao Shan, who had been listening from the sidelines, glanced at Guo Qiang when he heard Qi Fei’s words and spoke for the first time: "Shi Jiang has cracked. He has identified your true identity."

"What do you mean? I don't quite understand what you're saying."

Internally, however, he was thinking: *[Can't they come up with a new trick?]*

*[Identify me? Shi Jiang is just a small-time thug. As long as the Prince isn't caught, no one can possibly know there’s an issue with my identity.]*

Guo Qiang’s attitude left the team feeling as though they were punching at shadows; he was slippery and elusive. They were well-versed in handling suspects, but those methods were completely ineffective against him. He was so emboldened because he knew they lacked concrete evidence; as long as he refused to admit anything, there was nothing they could do.

Currently, their only grounds for detention were the suspicions surrounding the murder case. If they hadn't caught him in the act, and since his wife was still unconscious and unable to verify whether the sleepwalking was genuine, Guo Qiang would have certainly escaped charges based on his usual methods. In that case, they wouldn't even have a reason to hold him.

"Captain Zhao, come out here for a second."

There were things Qi Fei couldn't wrap her head around. Now that he was caught red-handed, how could he still argue? Sleepwalking?

Seeing him step out, Qi Fei asked directly: "Didn't you say you caught him in the act?"

Zhao Shan: "..."

*[This tone—why does she sound like she's scolding a child?]*

"I didn't, I wasn't, don't talk nonsense."

Zhao Shan: "..."

How did he forget about Qi Fei’s special ability again?

"Back to the point."

"After you told me he was suspicious, I sent people to stake him out. The second night, we noticed something wrong. When we went upstairs, we did indeed catch him in the act. His wife was severely injured and sent to the hospital, but she hasn't woken up yet."

"During the interrogation, none of us expected him to use such an absurd excuse as sleepwalking."

"And you believed him?" Qi Fei was baffled.

Zhao Shan felt a bit stifled. "When we arrived, he really didn't try to run."

By normal logic, his first reaction should have been to escape or cover his tracks, but he did neither. "Furthermore, follow-up investigations revealed that his wife’s friends did indeed mention her saying Guo Qiang had sleepwalking issues. Now, we have to wait for her to wake up to determine if he committed premeditated murder while sober or if it was truly a sleepwalking state."

People could actually play it like that? Qi Fei had learned something new today.

"I just heard the name 'the Prince.' His identity was forged by this person."

"The Prince?" Seeing Zhao Shan’s reaction, she asked curiously: "You know him?"

Zhao Shan pulled out a photo intercepted from the mall surveillance video and handed it to Qi Fei: "The man you bumped into last time is the Prince."

What a coincidence.

It really was that coincidental. At this moment, they couldn't help but sigh that Qi Fei was truly a lucky charm. Previously, they had only heard the name "the Prince" from undercover agents, but the man was incredibly mysterious. This was the first time in so long they had seen what he looked like. When they first learned he was the Prince, they were shocked to have accidentally stumbled upon such a big fish.

Now, Qi Fei was telling him that Guo Qiang was a line planted by the Prince. He looked at Qi Fei; if it weren't for her, who would have guessed?

Qi Fei shared what she knew: "He changed his identity during the summer after his third year of high school. The person who helped him was this Prince. If I’m not mistaken, Guo Qiang was a drug dealer before."

With that, everything fell into place.

"The day of the incident, wasn't the Prince followed by several bodyguards? One of them was caught by international police two days ago. As far as I know, he is the one who has been by the Prince’s side the longest. If he can be made to testify, Guo Qiang won't be able to escape."

"Huazi?"

Zhao Shan didn't expect Qi Fei to know even this. The identity was confirmed; the man’s nickname was indeed Huazi. According to what she knew, this Huazi and the Prince had grown up together. No matter where they went, the Prince always brought him along; they were inseparable. It was very likely he knew the truth.

If it really was this Huazi who had been caught, then there shouldn't be a problem. Hearing this, Zhao Shan was pleasantly surprised. He hadn't expected to have caught the right person.

"Fei, you’ve been a huge help to me again."

The matter ended there for Qi Fei, as what she said couldn't be used as evidence; it could only count as leads.

"By the way."

"I heard a line: '[I so kindly sent their whole family to be reunited].'"

"Does that mean they were all killed, or is there some other meaning?"

Zhao Shan pondered. Could it be that the real Guo Qiang’s body was buried in the graves of his parents or grandparents? If they could find the real officer's body, they could prove this man was an imposter. Whether they could find it or how to prove it—that was beyond Qi Fei's help.

"Eat some lunch before you go."

Qi Fei had no objections, but seeing that Zhao Shan had brought instant noodles, she looked at them with disdain.

"Keep them for yourself."

With so much good food in the world, why would she be miserable enough to sit here and eat that with Zhao Shan?

However, much to Zhao Shan’s surprise, less than an hour after Qi Fei left the station, she was back. When he received her call and walked out, he saw Qi Fei walking into the station while carrying a person in one hand. Everyone was drawn in by the sight of a girl carrying a grown man with one hand.

Qi Fei’s maneuver stunned Zhao Shan. He immediately stepped forward: "What’s going on?"

"This guy is radiating killing intent; he likely has blood on his hands," Qi Fei said immediately upon seeing Zhao Shan.

The surrounding people watched the scene in astonishment. Even though the man wasn't tall and his face was obscured, he must have weighed at least 130 or 140 pounds. A girl had just carried him in with one hand? Looking at the girl’s demeanor, it was as if the weight meant nothing to her. Was she even a woman?

Entering the station, Qi Fei dropped the man onto the floor with a thud, a sound that made everyone watching wince. She looked up at Zhao Shan: "This guy is likely a fugitive."

Qi Fei then tossed a handgun onto the table: "I found this on him."

Zhao Shan: "..."
The crowd: "..."

Qi Fei’s actions left Zhao Shan dumbfounded. He had a gun, he was a grown man, and he had been hauled in by Qi Fei like a chick? When the others saw the handgun on the table, their expressions soured, and they became instantly serious.

"I suspect he has taken lives." Concerned that her mask and hat weren't enough, Qi Fei hadn't even taken off her helmet.

Just as she finished speaking, she heard someone whisper: "This guy... he isn't dead, is he?"

It was impossible not to be suspicious; the man lay face down on the floor and didn't move an inch despite the rough handling. Surrounded by the crowd, Qi Fei coughed: "He tried to run and pulled a gun, so I had no choice but to dislocate his shoulders."

"He tried to run again while I was putting him in the car, so I knocked him out. Don't worry, he’s definitely alive."

Zhao Shan: "..."

The way she said "he’s definitely alive"—what, was she planning to bring him a dead one?

With everyone staring at her, she didn't want to explain further. She bent down and popped the man’s arms back into place. Qi Fei didn't go easy on him while resetting them; if she couldn't kill him, she could at least make him suffer. The brutal way she moved made the surrounding crowd cringe.

The arms were back in place, but the pain jolted the man awake.

*[So ruthless!]*
*[Who is this woman?]*