"You’re the County Magistrate Lin!"
Gao Man’s eyes were wide open as she looked at Lin Fan, completely forgetting that at this moment, their bodies were still connected.
"That’s right, I guess I should be the person Song Lili referred to as the witness... but I won’t testify."
Lin Fan had never imagined that Song Lili would take the matter to the City Public Security Bureau, dragging Gao Man into the mess as well.
"Why not? Are you afraid of Huo Ben’s retaliation?"
Lin Fan’s response took Gao Man by surprise: "Don’t forget, you’re a public servant of the state, how can you compromise with criminal forces?"
"First off, it’s not for you to determine what counts as criminal forces. Whether it is or isn’t has to be investigated. Secondly, the reason I won’t testify is that I didn’t witness any so-called illegal acts. The situation is complex, and the waters of Red Flag County are not as simple as you imagine. Thus, I suggest you think long and hard – Huo Ben is untouchable."
Lin Fan looked at Gao Man helplessly. If Huo Ben could be dealt with by the police, then several County magistrates wouldn’t have been forced out already. It was impossible for anyone to catch the man behind the scenes, Zhao Chuanchun.
"How can he be untouchable? Did he pay you off? Lin Fan, I didn’t think you were this kind of person!"
Gao Man looked at Lin Fan with a sudden disappointment: "Just because you’re afraid of retaliation, you allow a woman’s innocence to be defiled, while you hide behind and keep silent. Are you even a man?"
"Do you need to ask if I’m a man? Is what’s inside you right now a tail?"
Lin Fan lowered his head and pointed to the Iron Pestle still deeply embedded in Gao Man’s body: "Some things are not as simple as you imagine. Indeed, I was the one who brought her away from Huo Ben, but I didn’t see Huo Ben raping her. I only saw her tied up there without clothes."
"That’s sexual assault! We’ve already extracted a man’s DNA from her body. Just catch Huo Ben, and a test will show if he’s the culprit."
Gao Man said excitedly.
"Who can prove that the incident wasn’t consensual with Song Lili? Don’t you know that’s a type of fetish? And I didn’t witness anything. At the time, Song Lili herself admitted that it was voluntary, that’s how I was able to get her out."
Lin Fan briefly explained what had happened.
"That’s clear enough, she was coerced into saying it was voluntary. You even said that if she hadn’t agreed, there’d be no way she could have left."
At this point, Gao Man was no longer in the mood to continue, for such stories were beyond her comprehension.
"So how can you guarantee that Song Lili won’t be threatened again? Huo Ben is powerful in Red Flag County; no one can touch him. He has a protector above him, so don’t even think of arresting him. I’m afraid even if we report this, it will be dismissed."
Lin Fan sighed: "All I can say is that the skies of Red Flag County are still dark. We can only wait for the clouds to part and the fog to lift for justice to be sought."
"What kind of society do we live in that such criminal forces can still exist? Our duty is to clear the fog and see the clear sky. Huo Ben will not escape this time. I refuse to believe that public authority can be twisted by him. I will catch him. And when I do, don’t be unmanly, hiding and refusing to testify!"
The young Gao Man was now full of vigor, not believing for a moment that Huo Ben could escape the law’s punishment.
"Rest assured, if needed, I certainly can testify, but I can only testify to what I’ve seen. What I haven’t, I can’t speak of."
Lin Fan genuinely didn’t believe the City Public Security Bureau could capture Huo Ben; he feared it would all come to nothing in the end.
"Fine, that’s settled then, I’m leaving!"
Gao Man was about to get up and leave when Lin Fan pulled her back: "Hey, you’re just going to leave after you’re done? I haven’t had my satisfaction yet. You need to take care of this first."
"I’m not in the mood anymore. Deal with it yourself."
Gao Man stuck out her tongue: "Didn’t you say I couldn’t handle Huo Ben? I’ll make sure to show you that I can."
"Okay then, if you can’t handle Huo Ben, you’ll have to use your mouth to finish me off. Do you dare to bet?"
Lin Fan looked at Gao Man as she began to put on her black lace underwear, revealing a sly smile. Since she wasn’t going to attend to him, let her own invention take the brunt later on.
"Sure, no problem. When the time comes, I’ll not only use my mouth, but I’ll also finish it without leaving a drop. But what if I do get him legally prosecuted?"
Gao Man squinted her eyes at Lin Fan.
"Set any condition you like, I’ll accept."
Lin Fan shrugged nonchalantly.
"Okay, once I throw him in jail, you’ll be my dog for a day. Whatever I say, you do."
Gao Man pinched Lin Fan’s cheek with a proud expression.
"Agreed, it’s a deal. I look forward to you finishing without leaving a drop."
Lin Fan readily consented, confident that even being part of the Criminal Police Team, Gao Man couldn’t imprison Huo Ben, let alone catch him.
"I look forward to you being my dog, and I’ll buy you a bone to chew on!"
Gao Man pushed the car door open and strode toward the Qipao Store.