Good and Evil, Chapter 132: The Cunning Criminal

Over the next two days, all of Xu Lang’s medical examination results came back, showing everything to be normal and perfectly meeting Feng Liang and the others’ requirements. Consequently, Zheng Lei gave Xu Lang a deposit of forty-five thousand yuan. He instructed Wang Yiming to accompany Xu Lang to the bank to deposit the money into his account.

After completing these arrangements, Zheng Lei told Xu Lang to pack lightly and prepare to leave S City with them. He didn’t specify their destination, nor did Xu Lang ask, but Xu Lang knew Zheng Lei was surely taking him to Y City.

At just past five in the morning, while Xu Lang was still asleep in the hotel, he suddenly received a call from Zheng Lei. On the phone, Zheng Lei told him to get ready immediately and head to the Fuyuan Hotel to meet up, as they were about to depart.

Having barely slept, Xu Lang quickly got out of bed after hanging up, washed up, changed into the new clothes he had bought, and left for the Fuyuan Hotel.

When Xu Lang arrived, he saw Zheng Lei and two others already waiting at the hotel entrance. Feng Liang was not there—whether he had left early or remained inside was unknown.

Upon seeing Xu Lang, Zheng Lei said nothing and the four of them hailed a taxi. They instructed the driver to take them to the bus station. Upon arrival, rather than entering the bus station, they stopped another taxi outside and instructed the driver to take them to the S City train station. At the train station, they again stopped a taxi to the airport, then from the airport to the East Train Station. After this roundabout journey, Zheng Lei and the others finally entered the train station.

In the ticket hall of East Train Station, Zheng Lei smiled at Xu Lang and said, “Brother Xu, just hand your ID card to Huazi and let him buy the tickets.”

Hearing this, Xu Lang understood the reasoning: first, to verify his identity; second, to effectively hold his ID card hostage. In this modern age, with advanced transportation, every ticket buyer must present an ID card. Without one, travel becomes extremely troublesome. Though not impossible, it would be a severe inconvenience.

After a brief hesitation, Xu Lang took out his wallet, extracted the ID card from its compartment, and handed it to Wang Yiming. Wang carefully examined the ID, then nodded slightly to Zheng Lei before lining up to purchase the tickets. Xu Lang noticed their subtle maneuvers but pretended ignorance.

They bought the earliest train tickets to B City, not for soft or hard sleepers but regular seats. When it was time for boarding, Wang Yiming distributed the tickets, and they passed through the gates in order: Zheng Lei first, Zheng Maocai second, Xu Lang next, and Wang Yiming bringing up the rear.

The train ride from S City to B City took only two hours. Traveling from S City to Y City required three and a half hours, while the journey from B City to Y City took five and a half hours. In other words, to get from B City to Y City, one must pass through S City.

Once aboard, each found their seats. Xu Lang gazed out at the bustling carriage, listening to the noisy chatter around him. He silently admired Zheng Lei and his group's careful and cautious approach. It was no wonder the Y City police, despite uncovering some clues, had never gathered enough evidence to apprehend them.

The train soon whistled and slowly pulled away from S City.

Throughout the two-hour journey to B City, Xu Lang stood by the window, lost in thought as he watched the scenery pass by. Wang Yiming sat beside him, while Zheng Lei and Zheng Maocai sat opposite.

Upon arrival at B City’s train station, the four did not immediately leave but instead purchased tickets for the earliest train from B City to Y City, which conveniently departed just twenty minutes after their arrival.

Again, they purchased hard-seat tickets. After boarding, Xu Lang intended to find his seat but was stopped by Zheng Lei. While Xu Lang looked at him in confusion, Wang Yiming approached the conductor and managed to have all four of their tickets exchanged for sleeper berths. Since it was December and far from the New Year, sleeper occupancy was low, making the exchange successful. They were assigned to a single compartment.

Inside the sleeper compartment, Xu Lang took the middle berth on the right side near the door, Wang Yiming took the lower berth, Zheng Maocai the middle berth opposite, and Zheng Lei the lower berth opposite. Upon entering, Xu Lang sensibly removed his shoes and lay down. Wang Yiming sat on the lower berth looking out the window, while Zheng Maocai sat opposite, seemingly not intending to sleep. Zheng Lei, after seeing Xu Lang lie down, glanced at Wang Yiming and Zheng Maocai, nodded to them, and left the compartment. Xu Lang did not know where he went.

Two hours later, the train returned to Y City. The station stop lasted ten minutes, during which some passengers disembarked while others boarded. Initially, the compartment held only four people, but during this stop, two more entered: Feng Liang, who acted as though he didn’t know Xu Lang and the others, placing his suitcase under the bed before leaving the compartment; and a man Xu Lang recognized well—Zi Che Hexuan, a member of Xu Lang’s detective agency and a retired special forces soldier.

Xu Lang was momentarily stunned upon seeing Zi Che Hexuan. Before leaving S City, he had messaged Ning Yanran and the others about his whereabouts, expecting that they would send someone to follow him. He had imagined it might be the talkative Zhang Lei, or the investigator Zhao Hua, or even the trace evidence analyst Li Lei. He had never expected that Zi Che Hexuan would be the one sent, which caught him somewhat off guard. Still, he was only mildly surprised.

Compared to the police officers, Xu Lang felt closer to those from his own agency. It wasn’t that he distrusted the Criminal Investigation Unit Two; on the contrary, having worked with them for three years, there was a tacit understanding between them. A single glance or subtle gesture from Xu Lang was enough for them to know his intentions and cooperate accordingly.

In the compartment, the middle and lower berths of the two rows were occupied by Xu Lang and his group of four. Zi Che Hexuan climbed to the upper berth opposite, while Feng Liang had already left. Zi Che Hexuan settled onto his berth, wearing large headphones, seemingly listening to music. From the moment Zi Che entered, Wang Yiming kept his eyes fixed on him. Both men had military backgrounds, but while those with military training usually bear certain telltale signs regardless of time passed, Zi Che showed none. This was one of the reasons Xu Lang and Du Ziqiao had decided to hire him after reviewing his résumé.

Shortly after Zi Che and Feng Liang boarded, the train started moving. Zheng Lei left the compartment after boarding in B City and did not return; no one knew where he had gone. Zheng Maocai reclined on the lower berth opposite Xu Lang, fiddling with his phone. Though no images were visible, Xu Lang could tell from the sounds of men’s heavy breathing and women’s moans that Zheng Maocai was watching something inappropriate. Wang Yiming, meanwhile, sat upright, initially watching Xu Lang but shifting his attention to Zi Che after his arrival.

About ten minutes into the journey, Zi Che, who had kept his eyes closed listening to music, suddenly opened them and sat up. Turning his head, he fixed Wang Yiming with a fierce glare and shouted, “What the hell’s wrong with you? Why are you staring at me nonstop?”

Zi Che’s outburst immediately woke Xu Lang, who opened his eyes. Even Zheng Maocai looked up from his phone, and now three out of four people in the compartment were staring at Zi Che. Most would have tried to defuse the situation, but Zi Che continued to glare at Wang Yiming.

“So? You got a problem? Why don’t we settle this with a fight?” Zi Che taunted arrogantly when Wang Yiming remained silent.

Xu Lang peeked over the middle berth and saw the deep-seated anger barely restrained on Wang Yiming’s face. Zheng Maocai, however, looked carefree and amused, glancing between Wang Yiming and Zi Che, a smirk tugging at his lips.

At that moment, the compartment door opened, and Zheng Lei returned. He glanced at Zi Che and Wang Yiming’s locked gaze with a frown, then turned to Wang Yiming and asked, “What’s going on?”

Wang Yiming shook his head. “Nothing.”

Then he closed his eyes, refusing to engage further.

Zi Che muttered a disparaging, “Coward,” before hanging his headphones around his neck and climbing down from the upper berth. Passing Zheng Lei, he gruffly said, “Move aside,” and walked out of the compartment.

Zheng Lei watched Zi Che’s retreating back with a furrowed brow but said nothing. He glanced at Xu Lang, who was watching the scene from his middle berth, then at Zheng Maocai, who was similarly entertained, before leaving the compartment himself.

After receiving Zheng Lei’s glare, Zheng Maocai sulked and leaned back on his berth, resuming his phone viewing. Xu Lang sat up and climbed down from the middle berth. As he put on his shoes, Zheng Maocai glanced at him casually and asked, “Where are you headed?”

“To the restroom,” Xu Lang replied, finishing lacing his shoes before stepping out. Wang Yiming opened his eyes simultaneously and followed him out, while Zheng Maocai watched them leave with a squint but no apparent concern.

Outside, Zheng Lei sat in a chair in the corridor, engrossed in his phone. Feng Liang’s whereabouts were unknown.

Xu Lang nodded briefly at Zheng Lei before walking to the restroom near the junction of two train carriages. Wang Yiming followed at a distance, clearly monitoring him. Xu Lang said nothing throughout.

Inside the restroom, Xu Lang closed the door and retrieved a hidden phone from a concealed corner. Opening it, he found an unsent text message containing only a few words: “Everything is ready.”

He quickly deleted the message and composed a new one: “Send me Feng Liang’s information.” He sent it to the only saved contact on the phone, then returned the device to its hiding place.

Next, Xu Lang loosened his belt and relieved himself. After flushing, he washed his hands. Wang Yiming entered the restroom briefly but left without noticing anything unusual.

Xu Lang returned to the compartment, shaking the water droplets from his hands, with Wang Yiming still trailing behind.

Back inside, Zheng Lei had returned and was talking quietly with Zheng Maocai. Feng Liang and Zi Che were nowhere to be seen.

For the next three hours, Xu Lang sat on Wang Yiming’s lower berth, staring out the window, showing no intention of sleeping. Zheng Lei and Zheng Maocai ceased their conversation after Xu Lang’s return. Zheng Lei left the compartment again, giving Wang Yiming a subtle look, to which Wang nodded quietly.

Wang Yiming then reclined on the berth, eyes closed, seemingly giving up on watching Xu Lang.

Xu Lang wasn’t surprised by this. From the moment he contacted Zheng Lei and met with Zheng Lei and Feng Liang at the Fuyuan Hotel, he had not been in control. Everything afterward was orchestrated by Zheng Lei and his group. Xu Lang’s role was simply to follow. Not that he couldn’t act otherwise, but it was unnecessary.

None among Zheng Lei’s group—be it the seemingly affable Zheng Lei himself, the unmistakably dangerous Zheng Maocai, the impassive Wang Yiming, or the seven-fingered Feng Liang—were ordinary criminals. They were professional offenders, adept in counter-surveillance and possessing sharp intellects. Xu Lang, as an undercover agent, knew that acting rashly without fully understanding the situation would raise suspicion. He was no novice.

After three and a half hours, the train arrived in Y City. Neither Feng Liang nor Zi Che returned before the stop, and although Zheng Lei was not inside the compartment, he sat quietly in the corridor outside.

The four disembarked in order. As they exited the station, Xu Lang looked back at the Y City train station. Y City was unfamiliar to him. Though he had been there before—not as a tourist but on police business chasing criminals or assisting local authorities—those visits had been brief and hurried, leaving no time to appreciate the city.

This time was different. Xu Lang was here under new circumstances and could finally take in the sights. If time permitted, he hoped to bring Shu Yue to explore the city, to stroll and relax.

When Xu Lang was a policeman, he had no time for such thoughts; his focus had been on solving cases and apprehending criminals, with little time for Shu Yue. Now, no longer a formal officer, he could afford to consider such things: traveling with Shu Yue, shopping, unwinding. Over the years, Shu Yue had been his steadfast companion, more so than he had been for her. If possible, Xu Lang wanted to spend more time with her—after all, love was never a solitary affair.