"Ms. Fang, we’ve understood the situation you’ve described, and we will carry out an investigation to verify it. Thank you both for your cooperation," the police said.
The Yanjiao substation.
Fang Qing and Tong Dan, having completed their written statements, were escorted out by a police officer.
The courteous treatment was naturally due to Fang Qing’s status as a trainee lawyer.
"Fang Qing, murder is paid for with life. You’d better not get involved in this case anymore," Tong Dan said, clutching Fang Qing’s arm, her face unnaturally pale.
Murder is paid for with life.
Perhaps it was bad luck, or maybe it was Guan Libing acting deliberately in a fit of uncontrollable emotion, but the city enforcement officer surnamed Huo didn’t make it until the ambulance arrived; he died shortly after collapsing.
This was the first time Tong Dan had ever witnessed a homicide.
After stabbing the man, Guan Libing didn’t run away. He stood there in a daze, holding the bloodied pointed knife, and was arrested on the spot by the police who arrived upon hearing the news.
"Tong Dan, do you think that if I had stopped them earlier, maybe..." Fang Qing murmured softly.
It was the first time Tong Dan had seen a dead body, and so it was for her as well.
"What does that have to do with you!" Tong Dan snapped, gripping her arm, "Forget it happened, let’s pretend we were never here today."
Fang Qing remained silent, heading towards her car.
The two women got into the car.
"Do you want me to drive?" Tong Dan, who took the passenger seat, turned her head, concerned about her good friend’s state of mind.
Fang Qing fastened her seat belt and drove away from the police station.
Tong Dan leaned back in her seat, slowly exhaling, forcing herself to forget that terrifying bloody scene.
The Maserati headed towards Capital City.
"I might not be able to accompany you going forward," Fang Qing suddenly said.
Tong Dan turned her head, "You’ve said all that needs to be said, the rest is up to the police. Fang Qing, you’re just a lawyer, why meddle in other people’s affairs?"
Tong Dan, feeling helpless, retorted, "Client? He just consulted with you, what kind of client is that? Did he pay you a consulting fee? Fang Qing, I think he’s pitiable too, but he’s committed murder! You’re a law student. Murder is paid for with life; it’s just and proper!"
"I know. But do you think Guan Libing is a bad person?" she asked.
Tong Dan was at a loss for words, unable to reply.
"If it weren’t for being pressed too hard by the high-interest loan, coupled with the violent enforcement by those city officials, this tragedy wouldn’t have happened," Fang Qing said, gazing ahead.
Tong Dan’s lips moved slightly.
"You’ve done what you could. About the loan sharks, you already informed the police, right? Fang Qing, you’ve done more than enough. This affair has passed; you don’t need to host me, I’ll treat you to a big meal when we get back," Tong Dan said.
Fang Qing didn’t respond and continued to drive in silence.
Seeing this, Tong Dan knew she wouldn’t be persuaded and slumped back against the seat, exhaling helplessly.
Only an hour’s drive from East Sea.
Its development level, though not comparable to East Sea’s, was also among the nation’s leaders.
An unfinished construction site, 80 percent completed.
A pot-bellied man exuding wealth knelt on the ground, his face panicked and trembling.
"Mr. Wen, your payment is overdue by more than a month. Tell me, when do you plan to pay it back?" asked one of the roughly a dozen burly men standing around with their hands behind their backs.
A man with a scar on his face bent down, smiling, his scar stretching from his forehead into the corner of his eye like a centipede, sinister and terrifying.
In the chaotic building, there was even a tea set placed behind Scarface.
A man with a broad back and large waist sat nonchalantly drinking tea, as if he were an outsider to the situation.
Behind him was a drop of several tens of meters.
"Give me another forty days. Just forty days. The first phase has already been submitted for inspection. As soon as it passes, we can start selling. Once I receive the payments for the houses, I will repay the money immediately!" Mr. Wen pleaded frantically, sweating profusely, his lips quivering with obvious extreme fear.
"Heh, Mr. Wen, what you mean is, we have to wait for you to sell the houses before we can get our money, right? But what if these houses here don’t sell? The real estate market doesn’t seem too good right now, and as far as I know, you owe the bank money as well, right?" Scarface replied.
"It’s impossible that they won’t sell! Brother Dao, you have to believe me! Many people have already paid the down payment; as soon as the paperwork comes through, I can immediately recover a large sum of money. I can let the bank’s money go, but I will definitely repay your money first!" Mr. Wen said loudly, his trembling figure kneeling on the ground as though he wished to kowtow.
"If I remember correctly, you said the same thing a month ago," Scarface remarked slowly.
"This time it’s true! Brother Dao, just forty days. If I don’t repay the money by then, I, Wen Tai, will jump down from here myself!"
A building contractor.
Fairly well-known in Zhejiang.
But at this moment, he was drenched in cold sweat, kneeling on the ground in terror like a beggar.
Brother Dao chuckled, slowly squatting down, resting his elbow on his knee, looking into the contractor’s shaking eyes.
"Mr. Wen, reputation is everything in business. You know that we have more than one customer. We’ve already given you a month’s extension. You’re asking us to wait another forty days. What will others think if word gets out? How will they feel? Can we still do business?" he questioned.
Called Brother Dao, Scarface pulled out a tissue and reached towards Wen Tai’s face.
"Don’t be nervous; I’m just wiping off your sweat," he said.