The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 532 - 531: Wants to Mess with Me, Be Born Good in Your Next Life

Chapter 532: Chapter 531: Wants to Mess with Me, Be Born Good in Your Next Life

Yan Yi looked over the test paper and instructed the case officers to properly seal and preserve it so that it could be submitted to the court as evidence.

Besides that, Yan Yi also had the officers strip off the clothes and pants of Hong Tai and bag them in evidence bags.

There could also be gunshot residue on the clothing.

After all these procedures, Hong Tai began to feel a bit panic-stricken.

However, his mouth was still tough, "You think these little tricks will scare me? Humph, I’ll be out by tomorrow at the latest. Just wait and see."

No one paid attention to him.

Dissatisfied, he threatened Yan Yi, "Once I get out, you’ll be the first one I deal with!"

Yan Yi looked at him with an indifferent gaze, "Every insult you hurl at me won’t cause me any actual harm, but it will be the final straw that breaks you."

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Can’t you speak in a way that people can understand?"

Meiqian, who was leaning against the wall picking his teeth, took over the conversation, "Told you to spend more time reading, but you insisted on herding cattle. You don’t even know which laws you’re breaking. Insulting, intimidating, and threatening a public servant can get you up to five years. Do you understand now?"

Hong Tai sneered with disdain, "Psh, I’m so scared. If you’ve got the guts, then put me away. What’s the point of all this verbal sparring?"

"Rest assured, you’ll get your wish," said Yan Yi.

Hearing this, a sinister look crossed Hong Tai’s face, "Kid, better watch out when you step outside. If I run into you..."

Yan Yi interrupted him calmly, "You’re worrying too much. This lifetime, this will be our last encounter. If you want to mess with me, you better hope for a better life next time around."

After finishing, he no longer paid attention to Hong Tai’s shock and anger and turned to enter Interrogation Room Number Two.

Gou Quan was forcibly awakened by the case officers. Seeing Yan Yi and Meiqian, both new faces, he thought it was a shift change for his interrogation, immediately yawned, and repeated verbatim the same set of words he used to take the blame.

After he finished, Yan Yi had the case officers test Gou Quan for gunshot residue.

Gou Quan complied with cupping his hands but his mouth wasn’t idle, "What’s this thing you’re doing?"

"I mean, when exactly will this interrogation end?"

"Can I get some water to drink? You’ve interrogated me all day; my throat feels like it’s on fire."

"Hey, officer, how many years will someone like me get?"

The case officers, now aware of the purpose of the gunpowder residue test paper, were pleased to see it was spotless with no reaction.

"Gou Quan, no need to be so tough. There’s no gunshot residue on your hands; you haven’t fired a gun at all."

Gou Quan was stunned, then declared, "I don’t understand all this stuff you’re talking about, but it was me who shot Duan Shaolong."

Yan Yi looked at him, "You think you’re very loyal, but do you know what kind of price you’ll pay for this?"

"The worst is just a few years behind bars."

Gou Quan seemed nonchalant, but subconsciously avoided Yan Yi’s gaze.

Because the ridicule and pity in his eyes made him uneasy.

Yan Yi smiled, "Who knows if you only need to spend a few years inside?"

"Duan Shaolong is dead, and using a weapon to wound someone resulting in death, at the very least, gets life imprisonment."

"We don’t convict someone based on their word alone during our investigations; we look at the evidence. We just did the gunpowder residue test on you, you haven’t fired a gun."

"Not only can’t you take the fall for Hong Tai, you’ll also be prosecuted for shielding and obstructing justice."

"I’ll give you one minute to think about it."

Yan Yi’s words were like a flurry of punches, leaving Gou Quan completely unable to react.

Duan Shaolong is dead?

Wounding someone and killing someone are not the same.

Wounding someone leads to a few years in jail, but killing could get you the bullet!

Gou Quan was starting to panic, "Duan Shaolong is dead?"

Yan Yi did not answer his question directly but raised his wristwatch, "One minute is up. This is your last chance to confess; otherwise, you may never see the sun outside the prison again in your life."

After being hammered by these words, Gou Quan couldn’t stand firm any longer.

"I’ll talk, I’ll tell everything!"

Gou Quan not only admitted to taking the fall for Hong Tai but also detailed the process of Hong Tai firing the gun.

His confession was meticulously recorded by the investigators.

"If Hong Tai knew you betrayed him, he definitely wouldn’t let you off the hook. So, it’s better for everyone if he stays locked up, don’t you think?"

The implication was clear, a reminder not to even think about recanting his statement.

Gou Quan nodded vigorously.

He was still so young; he didn’t want to die.

The case was far from over.

Yan Yi picked several of Hong Tai and Duan Shaolong’s key subordinates and brought them one by one into the interrogation room for individual questioning.

Merely an assault charge was not enough to keep Hong Tai behind bars for life.

In front of this psychological expert, these thugs couldn’t withstand ten minutes. One after the other, a vast criminal network was unwoven, and Hong Tai had no escape.

As the dawn light began to brighten, the interrogation finally ended.

Hong Tai and the thugs involved in the brawl were all transferred to the municipal public security bureau for further investigation and review.

This time, it was imperative to eradicate the malignant tumors that were Hong Tai and Duan Shaolong, who had brought harm to the community.

Stepping out of the police station, Meiqian stretched and teased Yan Yi.

"What did this Hong guy do to offend you so much that you’re keen on nailing him to the wall?"

"Why can’t I simply be removing a scourge for the people?"

Meiqian scoffed, "Cut it out. When have you ever been so meddlesome? Everyone from Director Liang to an old friend like me has invited you to serve as the psychological consultant for the department numerous times, but you refused every offer."

"Then suddenly you show up at the station yesterday, volunteering to lead the charge, not to mention dragging me along to assist with the case. Something abnormal is definitely a sign of trouble. Either Hong Tai offended you, or you’re cleaning him up for someone else."

"You guess."

Meiqian squinted his eyes and sized him up, "I bet it’s the latter."

Yan Yi remained noncommittal, "Let’s go."

What kind of person was Meiqian? He wouldn’t be easily sidetracked by Yan Yi.

"Could it be related to that incident last time with the same person?"

One has to commend the police captain’s sharp intuition.

"Who is it, really? So secretive."

"Do you have any friends I don’t know?"

In the car, no matter how much Meiqian pressed, Yan Yi remained tight-lipped.

The more silent he was, the more curious Meiqian became; it was as if a cat was scratching at his heart.

But he knew all too well Yan Yi’s personality; if Yan Yi didn’t want to talk, there was no way he could pry it out of him. So, he simply stopped asking and flipped over to the back seat to sleep.

As a detective for more than a decade, he’d spent more time sleeping in cars than in beds.

...

In the bright morning light, a woman stepped out of her house and walked toward the nearby car.

Today she wore a ruffled floral blouse and a black pencil skirt. She tucked the hem of her blouse into the waistband of her skirt, accentuating her graceful waistline. Her delicate white ankles were adorned with black stiletto sandals.

Her full head of black hair was half pinned up in a round bun, while the rest fell behind her back, reaching her waist.

As she moved, strands of hair were lifted by the wind, catching the sunlight and glistening captivatingly.

Soft and alluring, delicate and frail.

A line of poetry he’d read recently flickered through Yan Yi’s mind.

He slowly rolled up the car window, started the engine, and drove away.

He had come to tell her about Tang Jinshui’s fate, so she wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore.

But upon seeing her, he no longer wanted to speak; he didn’t want to disturb her peace.

He didn’t know when, but it seemed the obsessions of his past had faded from his heart.

He no longer sought an outcome, companionship, possession, or even her affection.

Just watching her bloom in peace within her own world from a distance was enough for him.