Chapter 131: Setting the Trap (Request Subscription!)

The midday bus to the county town ran more frequently than the one to Shaoshan, with three departures daily at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., and 11 a.m.

Li Heng and the others took the 11 a.m. bus; it was slightly crowded, with seats nearly full. Due to the terrible road conditions—full of potholes—it took three and a half hours to reach the county town.

As soon as they got off, Li Ran looked up at the sky and asked, “The sun’s brutal out there. Where to now?”

Li Heng said, “First, find a hotel near No. 1 Middle School. We’ll stay here tonight.”

No. 1 Middle School was a bit far from the county bus station, so they squeezed onto a public bus for another half hour.

Zhang Zhiyong vomited again, clutching a roadside utility pole and nearly spewing out his liver and lungs, cursing nonstop: “Damn it! That woman next to me had fox odor—she nearly choked me to death, damn it! Puke! Damn it! Puke!”

Li Ran happily snapped a close-up photo and goaded him: “If I were you, I’d’ve told that woman: ‘With your level of fox odor, does your husband even sleep with you?’”

Li Heng couldn’t take it anymore. “Let’s go. First, check into the hotel across the street, freshen up, then grab dinner nearby.”

This area was decent—everything you needed for eating and lodging was right here, no need to search. After a quick cold shower, the group walked into the small restaurant next door.

After ordering, while waiting for the food, Li Heng pointed to the opposite No. 1 Middle School and said, “The target’s in that building. Rumor has it he’s got several mistresses. We’ll start by tailing him.”

In the next few minutes, he gave a detailed rundown of today’s main target, Feng De: this old bastard was a minor boss at No. 1 Middle School, abusing his power to ruin many lives.

Originally, Comrade Li Jianguo was demoted to No. 1 Middle School due to some sensitive remarks. Later, during a position competition, Feng De manipulated the situation to frame Li Jianguo and remove him, securing the post for himself.

Zhang Zhiyong was most intrigued by this. As soon as they finished eating, he headed straight to the garden beneath the target’s building to stake out. At first, it wasn’t going well—so many people coming and going in the corridor building, yet no sign of the target. Instead, he got bitten half to death by mosquitoes.

To avoid drawing suspicion as a stranger, Li Heng set up a chess game in the small garden. With his superior skill, he successfully kept four old men glued to the board. They even skipped dinner, taking turns playing him, desperate to win one back.

Around 7 p.m., as Li Heng was deeply engrossed in the game, Li Ran quietly tugged his sleeve and nodded toward the side path, signaling the target had appeared.

Li Heng nodded subtly, telling the two to follow first—he’d join them shortly.

Leaving at this hour, in such a hurry—Feng De was clearly up to something shady. The group was thrilled.

“Check!”

“Check!”

“Check again!”

Three checks in a row—Li Heng stopped dragging his feet and decisively checkmated his opponent.

Seeing him rise to leave, the four old men grabbed him, refusing to let him go, begging: “One more game! Just one more!”

Li Heng smiled. “Fine. You set up the board—I’ll just go to the restroom.”

Of course, the restroom was just an excuse. As soon as he turned his back, he slipped away—vanished without a trace.

Following Zhang Zhiyong and Li Ran to an old corridor building, Li Heng asked, “Where’d the target go?”

Zhang Zhiyong pointed excitedly to the leftmost room on the second floor: “He went in! Went in! A young woman opened the door—I just paid someone to find out—she used to teach at No. 1 Middle School, quit six months ago, started dating someone, but never expected she’d still be seeing this old bastard!”

Li Ran handed him a slip of paper. “This phone number belongs to the young woman’s boyfriend.”

Li Heng took it and asked, “You paid a lot?”

Li Ran sneered dismissively. “All of them are money-grubbing scum. At first, they were tough—said we looked suspicious and threatened to call the police. Ten yuan later, they dropped the threat. Another ten yuan, and we knew the color of the woman’s underwear.”

Li Heng laughed. If anyone knew how to handle this kind of thing, it was Li Ran—she was practically a pro, utterly flawless.

Zhang Zhiyong, eager and restless, asked, “Big Brother Heng, what now?”

Li Heng looked up at the second floor. “Go listen at the wall. Find out what’s going on inside.”

“Aye, sir! Leave it to me—I’m an expert at catching adulterers!” Zhang Zhiyong perked up like he’d been injected with adrenaline. He truly was skilled—he’d been trained by his own old bitch of a wife.

Up and down the stairs, not long after, the fool crept back, timid and nervous.

The lewd grin on his face told Li Heng everything. He couldn’t wait to ask: “Well?”

“Holy shit! They’re going at it like crazy! I peeked through the crack—the woman was like this, like this…” Zhang Zhiyong gesticulated wildly, describing the scene, his face flushed with excitement.

Listening to Zhang Zhiyong’s vivid description, Li Ran glanced at the open window on the second floor and got an idea. She handed the camera to Li Heng, then swiftly climbed onto the osmanthus tree outside the window, gesturing for him to pass it up.

Air conditioners were extremely rare back then. Few households in this small county town could afford to install one. The temperature was 38–39 degrees Celsius—sweltering day and night. Almost every home kept their windows wide open.

The young woman’s home was no exception. Though she’d closed the corridor window, the side window, hanging over empty space, was open. The two inside never imagined someone would climb the osmanthus tree to film them—they were completely at ease, giving Li Ran the perfect opening.

Li Ran watched for a moment, then couldn’t take it anymore. She signaled for Li Heng to climb up and look.

Li Heng climbed up, took one look, and cursed inwardly: Damn it! What kind of world is this? Feng De is nearly fifty—how’s he still got that kind of stamina? Did he swallow some kind of potent tonic?

The young woman had long, jet-black hair, a voluptuous figure, and undeniable beauty—no wonder the old lecher was so worked up.

As she filmed, Li Ran urged: “If you’re going to call, do it now.”

Li Heng climbed down and whispered instructions to Zhang Zhiyong, telling him exactly what to do.

Zhang Zhiyong patted his chest, excited, and dashed off to find a public phone. Unlike small towns, public phones were still fairly easy to find in the county town.

Most newspaper kiosks and general stores had landline phones installed.

He dialed the number on the slip. After a short wait, it connected:

“Hello, Feng Tian?”

“This is Feng Tian. Who’s calling?”

“Is Wu Yi, from Room 201 in the corridor building on West Street by the river, your girlfriend?”

“Yes, she’s my girlfriend. What’s this about?”

Zhang Zhiyong shouted in an exaggerated tone: “Your girlfriend Wu Yi’s being assaulted inside! Hurry up and come! She’s screaming her head off in there!”

A young man brimming with passion, upon hearing that his beloved was under attack, Feng Tian exploded in rage. He didn’t even ask for details—he slammed down the receiver and bolted out the door.

Hearing the commotion in the living room, Feng’s mother came out from the kitchen. “Where are you going? That old bastard just left. Where are you off to now?”

“Mom! Wu Yi’s being assaulted! Wu Yi’s being assaulted!” With red eyes, Feng Tian yanked open the door and bolted into the hallway.

Feng’s mother had met Wu Yi before and liked her. Hearing she was being assaulted, she dropped the dishes, grabbed a kitchen knife, and followed him out.

As Li Heng kept watch, Li Ran’s pupils narrowed. She quickly waved him over, signaling him to come up: “The woman just noticed me.”

“Huh?”

Li Heng climbed back up and followed Li Ran’s gaze into the room—sure enough, he locked eyes with Wu Yi on the sofa.

Four eyes met. No—six eyes met!

Seeing Li Heng and Li Ran in the tree, and Li Ran’s camera on her shoulder, Wu Yi’s expression first turned to terror—then, surprisingly, calmed. She didn’t expose them. Instead, she hugged Feng De tighter and moved more vigorously.

Li Ran, experienced in social dealings, frowned. “Something’s off.”

Li Heng asked, “You mean the woman?”

Li Ran said, “I sensed a wild, unhinged energy in her facial expression—I can’t describe it in words, but my gut tells me it’s right.”

Li Heng watched a moment longer. “The woman seems to be cooperating with your filming.”

Li Ran glanced back at him. “You noticed too?”

Li Heng nodded.

Li Ran asked, “So, are you still going to make the call?”

Li Heng said, “The fool’s probably already called.”

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

Zhang Zhiyong crept back from outside, pointing excitedly down the road: “Here they come! Here they come!”

Li Heng and Li Ran turned—sure enough, Feng Tian stormed toward them, furious, followed by a woman clutching a kitchen knife.

Arriving at the corridor building, Feng Tian craned his neck to see Room 201 on the second floor, then sprinted up the stairs.

The woman followed close behind.

Watching this, Zhang Zhiyong was thrilled and moved to join them upstairs. Li Heng held him back. “Enough. Just watch from below.”

The sky wasn’t fully dark yet. Feng Tian reached Room 201 and heard the moans inside—his anger surged. Too impatient to dig out his keys, he kicked the door open with all his strength and charged in like a rocket.

But the moment he stepped inside, Feng Tian froze—his eyes bloodshot, he screamed:

“Wu Yi, who assaulted you? Today I’m chopping up Dad! What the hell are you doing?!”

The word “Dad” pierced the air, drawing every resident of the corridor building out of their rooms.

The woman behind him rushed in, wailing and cursing: “Feng De, you bastard! That’s your son’s girlfriend!”

Seeing her boyfriend stunned in place, Wu Yi suddenly burst into heart-wrenching sobs: “Feng Tian, please pull your dad off me! He raped me!”

Afraid the scandal would be exposed, Feng De clamped his hand over Wu Yi’s mouth—forgetting to pull up his pants.

But the more he tried to cover it up, the more enraged Feng Tian became. He shoved Feng De aside, snatched the kitchen knife from his mother, and shoved him against the wall, screaming:

“Tell me! Tell me! What really happened?!”

Feng De dared not speak. But Wu Yi turned to the crowd and cried out her grievance:

Wu Yi sobbed that she’d been assigned to teach at No. 1 Middle School. Because she was beautiful, Feng De used his position to summon her to his office and coerced her into sex.

At first, to protect her reputation and keep her job, she stayed silent. But she never imagined—afterward, Feng De not only threatened her not to report it, but repeatedly sexually harassed her, blocking her transfer from the school.

Worse, he spread rumors about her character, making her friends and family afraid to support her.

Thus, Wu Yi had been held captive by Feng De.

Hearing this, Feng De roared: “Whore!”

But before he could finish the sentence, Feng Tian, completely out of his mind, cut him off—with the kitchen knife.

“Help! He’s killed someone!”

“Call the police!”

“Call the police now!”

“Call an ambulance!”

“.”

In an instant, the second floor descended into chaos. Soon after, police cars arrived, followed by an ambulance.

The police took Wu Yi, Feng Tian, and Feng’s mother away, and requested several bystanders to come to the station to give statements.

The ambulance carried the bloodied Feng De away to the hospital.

As Wu Yi passed by Li Heng, Li Ran, and Zhang Zhiyong, her gaze lingered on Li Heng and Li Ran for two seconds, then she lowered her head and walked away.

Feng Tian seemed mentally broken, still screaming wildly.

Feng’s mother was crying, utterly shattered.

“This has gone beyond our expectations.”

Watching the police car and ambulance drive away, Li Ran spoke.

Li Heng nodded. “I sense there’s a story here—nothing simple.”

Zhang Zhiyong clapped his hands in blunt approval: “Pfft! Who cares if there’s a story or not!

Feng Deliang deserves to die—a thug like him got three slashes to the throat; I doubt he’ll survive. Good riddance!”

Li Heng and Li Ran exchanged a glance and quickly dragged the clueless fool away.

That night, news spread through the small county at an astonishing speed—and reached their hotel—that Feng Deliang had died before even reaching the hospital.

Past midnight, Li Ran knocked on Li Heng’s door and asked: “The matter’s settled. When do we leave for the Three Gorges?”

Li Heng said: “We leave tomorrow.”

Li Ran turned to leave, but after a few steps, he turned back, leaning against the door to probe: “I’ve seen too many spring paintings tonight—I’m restless. You—”

Li Heng’s face twitched. He refused outright: “Handle it yourself.”

Li Ran had only been testing the waters. Seeing he wasn’t moved, she didn’t press further and excused herself with a laugh before leaving the room.

She understood: with Xiao Han as a stunning beauty, Li Heng would never look at her. Her bold words moments ago were truly triggered by the live spring scene she’d witnessed with Wu Yi and Feng Deliang.

The night passed.

The next day, the three boarded a midday bus to Shaoshi.

By coincidence, they ran into Wu Yi.

She was hiding in the last row, wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat pulled low, obscuring most of her face.

Seeing Li Heng and the others, Wu Yi froze, tense. After a long pause, she suddenly stood and moved to sit beside Li Ran.

Li Ran asked: “Are you okay?”

Wu Yi shook her head, whispering: “With witnesses present, I gave my statement and the police let me go.”

Li Ran glanced around, lowered his voice: “Did you know Feng Deliang first—or Feng Tian?”

Wu Yi flinched violently, stiffening in place. Then she asked Li Heng and Li Ran: “Are you enemies of Feng Deliang?”

Her logic was simple: only enemies would sneak photos.

It was precisely this judgment that made her cooperate so eagerly when Li Ran took the pictures.

Li Ran and Li Heng exchanged a look. Li Ran nodded: “Yes. I’m a reporter. I meant to expose him.”

Wu Yi shook her head: “What reporter? From Shaoshi? That won’t help.”

Li Ran pulled out his reporter’s credential and handed it to Wu Yi.

Wu Yi took it, studied it closely, then finally relaxed. She pulled a pack of cigarettes and a box of matches from her pocket, lit one, and smoked nearly half before speaking:

“Feng Deliang tormented me for three years. Three months ago, I met Feng Tian, fresh out of university. When I realized that monster wouldn’t let me go, I dressed up, made myself irresistible, and got close to Feng Tian. In less than two weeks, he was drawn to me—we started dating.

When Feng Deliang saw me dating his son, his temper grew worse than ever, his possessiveness more intense. He almost always found excuses to separate Feng Tian from me four times a week, then came after me himself.”

At this, Li Heng and Li Ran simultaneously thought of one word: setup.

Li Ran asked his final question: “If we hadn’t come, what would you have done?”

Wu Yi fell silent for a long time, her gaze vacant. “I collected plenty of damning evidence against him—but it was useless. My reputation was already ruined. No one would believe me.”

She added, grateful: “Thank you. You came just in time. I was about to break.”

Li Ran asked: “Why not tell Feng Tian sooner?”

Wu Yi shook her head again: “Feng Tian is mostly rational. If I told him in normal times, he’d protect his father’s reputation and leave me.

Only if he saw it firsthand—with many witnesses—would he lose control from rage.”

Li Heng and Li Ran exchanged a glance. A chill ran through their minds. They said nothing more.

Zhang Zhiyong spoke up: “So where are you headed now?”

Wu Yi’s eyes drifted to the window: “There’s no place for me here anymore. I heard the south is opening up—changing every day. I’m going to see for myself.”

(End of Chapter)