Good and Evil Chapter 58: Discovering the Traitor

If the media reporters learned about Bai Xiaofei’s abduction because Bai Shasha, in contacting relatives and the company, inadvertently let the news slip via one of them, that could be reluctantly explained. But how did those unscrupulous reporters find out about Bai Shasha delivering the ransom at Sanliqiao this afternoon? Bai Shasha’s colleagues certainly had no idea, and among her family, only her brother and sister-in-law were aware—and their phones had been bugged since they arrived at Bai Shasha’s home. There was no way they could have called the reporters, nor did they have any reason to do so unless they were fools or wished Bai Xiaofei dead, which was clearly not the case.

This left only one possibility: there was an informant within the police, or more specifically, inside the 805 Special Task Force. This person learned of the exchange location and leaked it to the media; otherwise, the press could never have known. After all, Xu Lang had already switched cars midway to shake off the reporters when Bai Shasha went to Sanliqiao.

But who could it be?

Xu Lang racked his brain. Ning Yanran? Impossible—she had no motive. She was the captain of the second criminal investigation team, dispatched directly from H Province, and had only been in S City for a little over four months; it was unlikely she’d have such cozy ties to the press, nor would she have any reason to betray them.

Zhang Lei? Xu Lang shook his head. Though Zhang Lei was boisterous and blunt, he knew what could and could not be said. Li Lei? Another shake of the head. Zhao Hua was out of the question—he didn’t even know the exchange location and was still canvassing near the Jinbei van. Lü Xing? Also not possible—he was unaware of the exchange site before Xu Lang and the others reached Sanliqiao.

Eliminating the second team, as for the first, except for Wu Yong, most didn’t know the exact exchange location. Could it be Wu Yong? The idea sprang up, but Xu Lang dismissed it at once. Though he and Wu Yong were rivals at work, Xu Lang knew Wu Yong’s principles better than anyone—he was a stickler for rules, perhaps to a fault, lacking flexibility, which was why Xu Lang had always outshone him, and now even the newly arrived Ning Yanran could match him tit for tat.

After eliminating all those people, Xu Lang suddenly thought of someone who had attended the 805 Task Force’s meetings and was now at Bai Shasha’s house, privy to every move of both the family and police.

Xu Lang recalled previous newspaper reports—there were details no one else knew, not even the rank-and-file officers assisting the investigation. How, then, did the media acquire this information? He couldn’t stay another second at the Public Security Bureau. He immediately left, heading straight to Bai Shasha’s home. He was determined to root out the journalist’s informant embedded within the police, that rotten apple in the force. If Bai Xiaofei’s rescue failed because of this leak, it wouldn’t just be Xu Lang’s wrath that the traitor would face—Bai Shasha and the authorities would tear him apart.

As Xu Lang was driving to Bai Shasha’s home, his phone rang again—it was Ning Yanran.

On the call, Ning Yanran informed him that the kidnappers had called again, demanding Bai Shasha deliver the ransom the next day, and the amount was now eight million instead of five.

“Stall them,” Xu Lang barked.

“I already had Bai Shasha tell them she couldn’t raise the money right away and ask for a few more days,” Ning Yanran replied, sounding aggrieved.

“And? What did they say?” Xu Lang pressed, anxious.

“They refused. They told her flatly if she didn’t have eight million by tomorrow, they’d kill the hostage. And—Xu Lang, they know she’s called the police.”

“Did they give a time and place for the exchange?”

“No, they said they’d notify her when the time came.”

After Ning Yanran finished, Xu Lang hung up without another word, floored the accelerator, and raced to the Luyuan complex. At the entrance, he saw the same relentless reporters who’d tailed him like glue earlier, now sitting by the roadside eating instant noodles. Xu Lang couldn’t decide if he ought to admire their dedication or deplore their lack of scruples for a story.

Inside the complex, Xu Lang quickly texted Zhang Lei and Li Lei before heading upstairs to knock on Bai Shasha’s door. It was Ning Yanran who answered, clearly surprised to see Xu Lang.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at headquarters? Why are you here?” she asked.

Xu Lang gave her a look but didn’t answer, pushing past into the apartment. He surveyed the room: Bai Shasha, weeping in her sister’s embrace; her brother, chain-smoking beside them; Zhang Lei by the listening device, headphones on, replaying recordings; Li Lei on the balcony, keeping a wary eye outside; and veteran detective Bao Gong, an expert in surveillance, who’d been brought from the first team to set up the bugs.

Everyone was surprised by Xu Lang’s arrival. Only Zhang Lei and Li Lei acknowledged him with a nod before returning to their work. Bai Shasha rushed over, grabbing Xu Lang’s arm in desperation. “Officer Xu, you’re a renowned detective—now the kidnappers have raised the ransom and know I went to the police. What am I going to do?”

Looking at this pitiful, helpless woman, Xu Lang’s anger cooled. He gently reassured her, saying they’d already identified a suspect and were closing in—a result would soon follow, so she needn’t worry. Bai Shasha, half-convinced, studied Xu Lang’s face, then released his arm and returned to the sofa.

With Bai Shasha seated, Xu Lang turned to Ning Yanran. “Hand over your phone.”

She blinked, taken aback. “Why?”

“Just give it here—no questions,” Xu Lang replied in a tone that brooked no argument.

“Oh.” Bewildered, she handed over her iPhone, its case decorated with a cute cartoon. Xu Lang glanced at it, then at Ning Yanran, who blushed. “What? Is it so strange to have a kawaii case?”

Xu Lang shook his head, saying nothing, then addressed the others. “Hand me your phones too.”

Bai Shasha’s family exchanged puzzled glances but complied, as did Zhang Lei and Li Lei. Zhang Lei removed his headphones and stood up, while Li Lei left the balcony to join them.

Finally, Xu Lang looked at Bao Gong. He said nothing, but his meaning was clear. Bao seemed to realize something; his hand lingered in his coat pocket.

They stared at each other for a long moment. Xu Lang spoke slowly. “Your phone.”

“I don’t have it,” Bao replied.

“Oh?” Xu Lang narrowed his eyes—a rare gesture, and one that signaled his fury.

Bao’s eyelid twitched, but as he began to protest, Xu Lang tossed the pile of phones onto the table, the clatter echoing through the room. Then, before anyone could react, he seized Bao Gong’s arm and, in a swift motion, threw him to the floor, twisting his arms behind his back.

Ning Yanran’s mouth fell open in shock—weren’t they supposed to be investigating a kidnapping? Why were they now fighting each other? She couldn’t make sense of it, nor could Bai Shasha’s family.

“What are you doing, Xu Lang? Let me go!” Bao Gong shouted, his face red with humiliation. At forty, with nearly twenty years in the force, he was a senior among many detectives, including Xu Lang.

Ignoring Bao’s protests, Xu Lang searched his pockets and found a phone, which he tossed to Zhang Lei. “Check for messages or calls after 1:30 p.m.”

Zhang Lei did so but found nothing. Xu Lang frowned. Had he been wrong? But he dismissed the doubt—he wouldn’t have acted without certainty. He frisked Bao again, but this time Bao, realizing Xu Lang’s intent, struggled violently. Xu Lang failed to restrain him, and Bao managed to get to his feet. Li Lei started forward to help, then stopped short.

At that moment, Xu Lang landed a punch to Bao’s side, sending him crashing back to the floor. Calmly, Xu Lang searched him thoroughly and finally found a “senior phone” hidden in a false pocket.

Sitting beside the now motionless Bao, Xu Lang opened the phone. In the messages, he found two texts. One, sent at 10 a.m. on August 5th:

“Breaking news: Famous host Bai Shasha’s daughter Bai Xiaofei kidnapped, five million ransom demanded. Report immediately.”

The second, at 1:40 p.m. today:

“Exchange at 3 p.m., location Sanliqiao. Go now.”

Just a few brief words had revealed a tightly guarded kidnapping case to unscrupulous reporters, ruining all of the 805 Task Force’s arrangements. Now the kidnappers knew Bai Shasha had gone to the police, and Bai Xiaofei’s life hung by a thread. Would the kidnappers proceed with the exchange tomorrow? Would they kill the hostage? Everything was uncertain.

Xu Lang held the phone before Bao Gong’s eyes. “Anything to say?”

Bao glanced at the messages and shut his eyes in pain.

Xu Lang stood and said to Li Lei, “What are you waiting for? Get someone here to take him away.”

He then rose, still rifling through the phone, and found an unsent draft:

“One of the kidnappers, Tang Yunlong, is Bai Shasha’s high school classmate. Report immediately.”

Xu Lang broke out in a cold sweat. Thank heavens he’d arrived in time. Had Bao sent that message, and the news gone out the next day, the kidnappers would surely have killed the hostage and fled. Xu Lang wiped the sweat from his brow.

Since Bao Gong was from Wu Yong’s team, Li Lei called Wu Yong to explain. Xu Lang could hear Wu Yong’s thunderous roar through the phone before the call abruptly ended.

Rubbing his ear, Li Lei muttered, “Wu Yong just got cuckolded.”

Xu Lang and Ning Yanran both rolled their eyes.

Only now did Ning Yanran understand what had just happened. Bai Shasha, too, caught enough of Li Lei’s call to realize the truth. When she learned the reason for the horde of reporters besieging her home was Bao Gong’s betrayal, she snapped, grabbed an ashtray, and advanced on Bao with murder in her eyes.

If Xu Lang hadn’t been quick to snatch the ashtray, Bao Gong might have left crippled—or worse—with Bai Shasha facing criminal charges. As much as everyone sympathized with her, Bao’s crime was dereliction of duty; the law would deal with him.

Still fuming, Bai Shasha kicked Bao twice and then collapsed into Xu Lang’s arms, sobbing. Xu Lang was at a loss—Bai Shasha, nearly forty, was still well maintained, and with the summer heat, she wore little; Xu Lang, unlike Li Lei and the others, wasn’t in uniform but dressed in his usual T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers.

As he stood there awkwardly, the doorbell rang. Li Lei answered it.

In strode a towering, dark-faced man—Wu Yong. He stopped in his tracks on seeing Bai Shasha weeping in Xu Lang’s arms.

Sensing someone new, Bai Shasha pulled away, blushing, and returned to the sofa. Xu Lang breathed a sigh of relief and turned to Wu Yong. “How did you get here so fast?”

Wu Yong said nothing, his gaze falling on Bao Gong sprawled on the floor. Xu Lang, sensing trouble, stepped between them. “Don’t do anything rash, Wu Yong.”

Wu Yong glared at Bao, then fixed his eyes on Xu Lang. After a few deep breaths, he rasped, “Don’t worry, I’m fine.” Without another word, he hauled Bao up, snapped handcuffs on him, and marched him out.

Seeing Bao’s red, swollen face, Xu Lang felt a pang of pity. He didn’t know why Bao had done it, though he had his suspicions. But Bao’s fate—disciplinary action or legal charges—was no longer his concern. His only priority now was Bai Xiaofei’s safety.

With the mole caught, Xu Lang gave a few instructions to Ning Yanran and left for headquarters. The increased ransom meant the kidnappers still hoped to collect; Bai Xiaofei was likely still alive—though for how long, no one could say.

When Xu Lang returned to the bureau, Tang Yunlong’s file had arrived at the 805 Task Force.

Examining it, Xu Lang found that in both of Tang’s previous convictions, two associates had appeared: Tang Jiayun (his nephew, though they were close in age) and Yu Wenxian, his junior high classmate and neighbor. All three had been released two months ago after serving time for robbery and extortion. Their homes were in the Fangxi Road outskirts—Tang Yunlong and Yu Wenxian were childhood friends and neighbors.

Given these clues, Xu Lang was now nearly certain that the trio had kidnapped Bai Xiaofei. He sought out Wu Yong, who was interrogating Bao Gong.

“Never mind Bao for now,” Xu Lang said. “We need to find the kidnappers.”

Wu Yong, familiar with Yu Wenxian—having handled his last extortion case—knew that he lived in Tangjiawan on the city’s edge. He, Xu Lang, the second team, and the armed police set out immediately.

They stopped a kilometer short of Tangjiawan and proceeded on foot, sneaking in. Their priority was to rescue Bai Xiaofei alive. If she died, justice would be cold comfort to her family.

Tangjiawan was not a rural village but a dense suburban area of self-built three-story homes. Yu Wenxian lived on the east side, Tang Yunlong on the west, Tang Jiayun centrally. This made a simultaneous capture difficult, especially since Bai Xiaofei’s precise location was unknown, and there might be more than three kidnappers. Reconnaissance was needed.

It was already 9:15 p.m. on August 9th. Bai Xiaofei had been missing for five days—what had this sixteen-year-old suffered? Was she still alive? That was the most urgent question.

After a brief conference, Xu Lang decided to take two detectives for a closer look. One was Bao Chen, who had worked Yu Wenxian’s prior case and knew the area. Wu Yong stayed outside, ready to storm in once Bai Xiaofei was found.

Before the operation, Wu Yong handed Xu Lang his sidearm. Though Xu Lang was now a special consultant, not a regular officer, and shouldn’t be armed, no one knew if the kidnappers had guns. Better safe than sorry.

Resting his hand on Xu Lang’s shoulder, Wu Yong locked eyes with him. “The hostage’s safety comes first, Xu Lang. Don’t do anything reckless.”

With a slap, Xu Lang brushed off Wu Yong’s hand and, without looking back, slipped into the darkness of Tangjiawan.

Wu Yong watched him go, regretting handing over his gun—not because he doubted Xu Lang’s integrity, but because he worried Xu Lang might act before signaling. To be safe, Wu Yong split the police and armed unit into three teams, each covering a suspect’s home, ready to move the moment Xu Lang gave the word.

At 9:30, the summer night was lively—people crowded the streets, barbecue and food stalls lined the road, fragrant smoke wafting through the air. Xu Lang and Bao Chen’s arrival drew no attention.

Yu Wenxian’s house was three stories, the first-floor lights on, the sound of a cartoon playing inside. The door stood open. Xu Lang watched from the shadows: only a woman and two children were visible—no sign of Yu Wenxian.

After circling the house and confirming Yu Wenxian was absent, Xu Lang rejoined his team and they moved on to Tang Jiayun’s house.

Tang Jiayun, divorced after a brief marriage and subsequent imprisonment for robbery, lived alone. His house was dark and silent. Xu Lang pressed his ear to the door, detecting nothing, and peered through an open rear window—empty.

Not wanting to alert anyone, he left the house untouched and moved on to Tang Yunlong’s.

Tang Yunlong had a son from a previous marriage. After Tang’s second imprisonment, his wife had divorced him, leaving the son with his grandmother. Now, a sixty-something woman sat in the living room, glancing repeatedly at the door. Upstairs, a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old boy played at the window—Tang Yunlong’s son.

Xu Lang and Bao Chen exchanged puzzled glances. If Bai Xiaofei wasn’t in any of these homes, then she must be with the fourth man seen drinking with the suspects at the barbecue stall.

Just then, as they made their way back, they spotted the four men—Tang Yunlong, Tang Jiayun, Yu Wenxian, and the unknown fourth—approaching, the youngest carrying two takeout boxes.

Xu Lang slowed his pace, pulled out a cigarette, offered one to Bao Chen, and lit up. Bao, a non-smoker, had no choice but to follow suit, feigning casual indifference.

As they neared, the four men grew wary, staring at Xu Lang and Bao Chen. Xu Lang, unbothered, stopped, locked eyes with the unknown man, and sneered, “What are you staring at? Never seen a handsome guy before, hick?”

He blew a plume of smoke in the man’s face and strode off, leaving Bao Chen to hurry after him, visibly nervous.

Tang Yunlong narrowed his eyes, a glint of malice in them. The youngest, Tang Jiayun, started to speak, but the stranger stopped him. “Not now. Wait till this job is done.”

“Damn, that punk’s lucky. Next time I see him, I’ll kill him,” Tang Jiayun spat.

The four moved on.

Once out of sight, Bao Chen started to look back, but Xu Lang stopped him. “What is it, Brother Lang?” he whispered, only then noticing that Xu Lang had his phone out, camera trained behind them. On the screen, the four men could be seen, having paused to check if Xu Lang and Bao Chen were watching. If Bao Chen had turned, their cover might have been blown.

Sweating, Bao Chen followed Xu Lang onward.

After twenty meters, Xu Lang stopped and watched as the four men headed not for Tang Yunlong’s home but a house at the far western edge. Xu Lang and Bao Chen exchanged a look and set off after them.

“Signal Wu Yong—have him bring reinforcements,” Xu Lang instructed, then hurried ahead, meeting up with the detective tailing the suspects, and together they pursued the four men.