Chapter 39

At 9 a.m. on July 15, at a car rental company in Jiangnan District, the owner Zeng Yu had just brewed a pot of tea and was sitting behind the tea table, legs crossed, pouring himself a cup, when a middle-aged man with an air of authority entered.

He noticed the man had a crew cut, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and had fair skin indicating good care; the man carried a Gucci bag and asked, “Boss, what cars do you have available?”

Zeng Yu heard the man’s strong Cantonese-accented Mandarin and sensed a major client had arrived.

He quickly stood up and smiled, “Welcome! Please sit! What kind of car are you looking for? I have Japanese, German, American, and Korean models—sedans, SUVs, commercial vehicles—all types available. I’m sure I can meet your needs!”

The man smiled faintly, elegantly pulled a business card from his bag, and handed it to Zeng Yu, who took it and felt a surge of joy—the card clearly read: “Project Preparation Office, Zizhen Logistics Park, Yuehai Group, Fang Jiahao.”

Zeng Yu knew this project was a top-tier investment attraction for Zizhen City, and he hadn’t expected a preparation team had already been formed. He beamed, “Mr. Fang, what car do you need? I’ll take you to see it right away!”

Fang Jiahao smiled modestly, “The project has just started, so there’s no need to bring a car all the way from Yangcheng. But it’s inconvenient not having one daily. Just get me a decent sedan for commuting. I like driving BMWs at home—give me a BMW.”

Zeng Yu immediately nodded, smiling, “Of course! We have a white 530i right now—would you like to take a look?”

“Hmm, the 5 Series is fine. How much is the rent? I’ll pay you a month upfront. Later, if the company needs long-term use, we can consider a lease—it saves a lot of hassle. Maintenance, license plates, all so annoying!”

Zeng Yu was thrilled inside. He’d heard some big companies preferred renting over buying, since renting could be cheaper—especially by avoiding driver salaries. Judging by Mr. Fang’s demeanor and his generous attitude, he must be an important person here; he didn’t question why someone so high-up would personally handle something as trivial as renting a car.

After quickly inspecting the nearly new white BMW in the parking lot, both parties signed the rental contract. Zeng Yu recorded Fang Jiahao’s ID information, and Fang pulled out a stack of cash—Zeng Yu instantly recognized it as a bundle of sealed hundred-yuan notes, clearly one hundred thousand yuan.

Fang Jiahao picked up a small knife from the tea table, cut the seal, and handed over two stacks: “Mr. Zeng, this is one month’s rent. Send me the invoice when you’ve prepared it. This ten thousand is the deposit. All good, OK?”

Zeng Yu tucked the cash away and chuckled, “Of course, Mr. Fang—enjoy your ride! I hope I can serve you even more in the future!”

Watching Fang casually produce one hundred thousand yuan, Zeng Yu became even more convinced this man was a godsend. He’d heard bosses from that side preferred cash, but he hadn’t expected such extravagance.

Still, despite the man’s generosity, Zeng Yu didn’t forget to monitor the car’s GPS track. Only when he saw the red dot representing the white BMW stop at the location marked “City Zhaoshang Bureau” did he finally look away from the screen.

At 10:15 a.m., a white BMW with license plate Jiang A sped along the highway heading north…

————

Gu Changzheng, after a night of fruitless searching, realized he had been thoroughly misled by his opponent’s feint-and-strike strategy.

He deeply blamed himself—he had indeed fallen into the trap of experiential bias and underestimated Tan Yang’s capabilities.

Seeing Luo Fei, Gao Ye, Liu Han, and the other brothers who had worked through the night with him, along with the armed police and hospital security personnel who had come to assist in the search and blockade, he locked himself in his car to review every action Tan Yang had taken since disappearing.

He realized he had been misled by the fog Tan Yang deliberately spread—there was no need to find how he left the hospital; all he needed was to find where Tan Yang was headed after leaving. Even if he had flown away with wings, what did it matter?

Once he understood this, he saw where he had gone wrong last night—he had been led by Tan Yang into solving a puzzle.

With the right direction clear, Gu Changzheng immediately gathered his Criminal Investigation Division team for an on-site meeting. Based on the information they had on Liu Baoshan and Tan Yang, they concluded that both had no living relatives left and were utterly unattached. Tan Yang’s escape from the hospital was a declaration that he would not survive as a mentally ill patient, and a clear rejection of Liu Baoshan’s desperate protection. The only thing left that he considered meaningful was to find Hu Feng.

Kill Hu Feng—to resolve the final matter of his and Liu Baoshan’s lives.

Find Hu Feng, and you might find Tan Yang. This was now the most effective approach.

Although Hu Feng had committed many atrocities in juvenile detention, his family’s support and his privileged starting point meant that even after wasting six years in detention, he still surpassed the lives of most children from impoverished backgrounds.

Hu Feng’s information was quickly retrieved—he now appeared publicly as a successful young entrepreneur.

“Hu Feng, age 38, General Manager of the Hu Group in Daocheng City, Distinguished Entrepreneur of Daocheng City, Member of the Municipal CPPCC. Currently resides in Nancheng District, Daocheng City. Wife: Zhong Yan, lawyer and partner at Dade Law Firm in Nancheng District. Two children, both attending Daocheng City Experimental Primary School—one in first grade, one in third.” As Luo Fei presented Hu Feng’s details, Gu Changzheng said, “It’s now 10:30 a.m. Our city is about 1,100 kilometers from Daocheng. There are too many ways to get there—water, road, rail, air. Under these circumstances, we must rely on ourselves. Luo Fei, you and Wu Yan, focus on checking all train arrivals to Daocheng today. Gao Ye, take someone to the long-distance bus station. Liu Han, go to the airport. We have no direct flights to Daocheng, but the suspect may transit through another city. Guo Hao, contact the Daocheng City Public Security Bureau, notify them of Tan Yang’s situation, and ask them to warn and protect Hu Feng. Understood?”

Everyone shouted, “Understood!” Gu Changzheng said, “Move out!”

Watching his team move swiftly, Gu Changzheng felt a strong sense that Tan Yang was no longer in Zizhen City. Yes—given his methods and the time he’d been given, it was nearly impossible he had stayed.