Han Jingheng really couldnāt trust Qiu Shaochengās character. After he went out, Qiu Shaocheng was nowhere to be seen.
He quickly left the alley, walked several hundred meters, found a public phone booth, and dialed a number: "Hello, Little Su, could you get Jingchen for me?"
Su Jingsong on the other end of the line: "One moment."
There was the sound of footsteps moving away: "Mr. Han, the phone."
After a short while, he heard someone approaching: "Hello, who is this?"
"Second Brother, itās me, Big Brother."
"Big Brother, why are you calling?"
"Qiu Shaocheng just came to the old house. He wanted to borrow money from me. We didnāt agree, but the look in his eyes seemed off. Given his character, Iām afraid he wonāt let it go easily. He might try to find you, so be prepared."
"If he really dares, Iād still consider him a man. Donāt worry, I know about this. Thereās a saying: āThe wicked will meet their inevitable fate.ā Heās done so many wrong things, he canāt escape this law."
"Second Brother, do you have news about the child over there?"
"Not yet. Yilan County is not that big. I believe it wonāt be long before thereās news."
"What about your wife? Any news?"
"Itās hard to say right now. Iāve been inquiring, but donāt worry, Brother. We will all reunite as a family someday."
"Alright, donāt tire yourself out. You need a good health to wait for them. If thereās anything we can help with, remember to call. Donāt bear everything on your own."
"Understood, Big Brother."
The two chatted a bit more before hanging up the phone.
Han Jingchen dialed another call, gave some instructions to the person on the other side, then hung up.
Qiu Shaocheng has done so many bad things, and now he thinks he can just walk away without a scratch. Dream on.
That night, Qiu Shaocheng sneaked out of the guesthouse. He originally planned to cause trouble at the Han Familyās old house, but was intercepted halfway. Those people didnāt care to distinguish right from wrong and beat him up. They found a bottle of kerosene and a box of matches on him and immediately turned him over to the police station.
Regardless of why those people beat him, the police first interrogated him about the kerosene and matches found on him.
But how could Qiu Shaocheng tell the truth? He was just mad and wanted to settle scores with the Han Family before leaving. Little did he know heād be intercepted as soon as he stepped out. He didnāt even understand why he was beaten up.
The police questioned him for a long time, but seeing he dodged the questions, they got angry: "Stop talking nonsense. Tell us why you were carrying kerosene and matches when you went out?"
In the end, Qiu Shaocheng had no choice but to say: "My son got into trouble at home. I originally came to Beijing to borrow money, but couldnāt get any. I have no face to go back, so I wanted to find a place to end it all."
The two officers in the room exchanged a look after hearing his words. They didnāt believe Qiu Shaochengās nonsense. Even if he wanted to end it all, he wouldnāt be roaming around in the middle of the night: "Youād better confess truthfully."
Seeing that he still wasnāt speaking, another officer asked: "Where did you get this kerosene?"
Qiu Shaocheng was a bit flustered: "I, I..."
The officer squinted at him: "Donāt think you can fool us. Weāll verify it later."
Qiu Shaocheng regretted his impulsive actions today, which left him so passive: "Officer, I took the kerosene from the guesthouse."
He had no choice but to tell the truth. He only had money for a ticket home, not extra cash to buy these things. He saw the guesthouseās small storeroom door open when he went to fetch water. Seeing the kerosene on the shelf by the entrance, and the person who opened the door going in to get things, he took the kerosene.
After clarifying how he took it, the police recorded the details.
Then the interrogation returned to the initial question: "What was your purpose for taking the kerosene?"
Qiu Shaocheng was a bit irritated: "I already said, I didnāt want to live, I wanted to die."
Seeing him maintain the same story, the two officers called in another officer. Naturally, the new officer used some methods, and it didnāt take long for Qiu Shaocheng to confess.