Chapter 302: Chen Fan

In the rain, Chen Fan and Zhang Tianxiong arrived at an old house, walked inside; the house had been cleared out, but the broken windows were still patched up.

Tuikai Sect, Chen Fan and Zhang Tianxiong entered, gazing at the rope on the ceiling, unable to suppress a sigh.

The photographer felt a chill down his back.

Chen Fan found a spot and sat down, saying: "It must have been right here that he watched this."

"Is the man this old man's son?"

"Yes, there's no need to doubt it, but you can't find this person now."

Zhang Tianxiong froze and said: "Huh? Why?"

"His face was burned. We investigated all available records; clearly, this person used his most primitive method to destroy evidence. First evidence: fingerprints—his hands were burned."

"Second, his face—also burned. He destroyed his own face outright."

The photographer followed, and viewers watched all this—it was truly terrifying to witness.

Chen Fan reached out and slapped the ground, saying: "Surprising, right? Why am I sitting here, where this child sat? Because this spot is noticeably sunken—this child sat here for five years. Five full years."

Five years, staring at that rope, planning for five years.

How easy would it be to find him? This child went mad.

Mad?

Put yourself in his place—if your own father was driven to death, wouldn't you go mad too?

The child's revenge was simple: he used dogs. Once or twice might be coincidence, but after many times, it became deliberate.

But getting sentenced to death isn't that easy.

At this moment, a man walked in and said: "The man's been dead five years—still not letting go?"

Chen Fan and Zhang Tianxiong stepped outside; Zhang Tianxiong's brother watched from the side.

They watched the approaching old man with alert eyes.

"Old man, we're police."

"I know you. I know you."

Chen Fan said: "Old man, let's talk."

"No more talking. What's the point? I don't know where Xiao Feng went. Asking me won't help—I don't know."

"I didn't ask about Xiao Feng. I'm here to ask you: who were the ones who smashed the old man's car? Who were the internet influencers who came here causing trouble? You must remember at least some of them, right?"

"What are you getting at?"

"I'm a forensic expert. Arresting people isn't my job. I'm just curious, asking questions—after all, there's a camera here that can expose everything directly. How this case is judged? Isn't it still up to netizens? Just like this dead old man—wasn't it netizens who sentenced him to death?"

These words struck straight to the heart.

Qin Ming said: "Do you all find this hard to understand?"

Everyone nodded.

Qin Ming said: "This is public opinion pressuring the police to investigate. Didn't this happen this year? When we made arrests, people kept asking us: 'What's the progress? What are you even doing?' Back then we'd reply. Now our superiors have said:"

"Who the hell are you to keep asking? Every day, using threats against police to boost your traffic? Ask one more time—I'll have the economic crime unit audit your accounts."

Teacher He let out a snort of laughter and said: "This is kind of like us celebrities, isn't it?"

"Exactly. Police, just by wearing their uniforms, are walking celebrities—constantly watched."

Sister Yuanyuan said: "I agree with Teacher Qin Ming's words—if everyone judges others by their own moral standards, everything will fall into chaos."

"Now with real-name systems, your statements carry responsibility. The damage caused can be enormous. If we find people who directly harm others—someone dies—it becomes a criminal case. Malicious speech is always a blade that kills without blinking."

In the video, Chen Fan was helping the old man prepare the chicken.

Chen Fan had bought it at the market; the old man was being looked after by Zhang Tianxiong, while the other two cleaned the yard.

You can still work on a rainy day.

"You're really something, young man."

Chen Fan said: "It's nothing. Men don't mind getting wet. Let me tell you—I'm a celebrity too. If you used your head and rented out this house, lots of people would come to stay. I'm a celebrity—I could make money from it."

"I have no such idea. That money would be earned at the cost of my conscience. Back then, many people offered me money to say things about the old man—like claiming he abused dogs since childhood. I threw them all out."

Then the old man pulled out a notebook and said: "Yes, I've recorded everything—who came to me, which reporters, which people—all written down. Even those who came to smash things, spit, and curse around here—I've got them all."

Chen Fan looked at the notebook and said: "Hmm. There are photos too? You've been saving them for us?"

"You mean Xiao Feng prepared these?"

Chen Fan said: "Isn't that right?"

The old man sighed: "I originally just wrote down names. But later, I unconsciously started collecting these photos—cut from various places."

Chen Fan silently watched the old man and said: "Old man, may I use your stove?"

The old man nodded.

Chen Fan lit the fire and began stewing the chicken.

He added some vegetables, then poured in some alcohol.

When the stew was nearly ready, Chen Fan ladled it into a large basin; everyone gathered around and ate with the old man.

"Your teeth still good?"

The old man sneered, pulled out his dentures, and said: "I came prepared."

Chen Fan nodded, drank his wine, and said: "Old man, are there good people in this world?"

"What nonsense are you talking? How could there be no good people in the world?"

Chen Fan took another sip of wine and said: "Your daughter really worked hard."

The old man paused, then said: "You little rascal—I knew you were sharp. You figured this out? My daughter's been living away for a long time—and you still found her. You're really something."

Chen Fan said: "A teenager can remain rational only because kindness exists in his life. Without kindness, this child would've been easy to catch—because losing reason means making mistakes."

The video was live-streaming; everyone watched Chen Fan and the old man's conversation as if it were a tea gathering.

Chen Fan ate unhurriedly, while Zhang Tianxiong and the others ate with obvious delight.

The old man said, "How did you figure it out?"

"; the layout of the house — a man couldn't do something this delicate, unless he was a pervert, so my first guess was a woman."

"Nonsense. You're a forensic doctor — did you forget everything else?"

Chen Fan was speechless. "You already know I'm a forensic doctor, so what are you?"

"I'm a cop, of course. What other identity could I have?"

The old man gnawed on a piece of meat and said, "Back then, when I recorded these things, I was thinking that in the future I'd let this kid file a lawsuit, or wait until the law came out with some kind of regulation on public opinion, and then go sue. But the person died, and this kid just couldn't be talked out of it. My daughter and I kept trying to persuade him, kept trying, but really, we just couldn't talk him out of it."

"If there's no crime, no one can stop them. If there is a crime, you can only go arrest them. The other party doesn't care about being caught — before they're caught, they'll just accelerate their crimes."

The old man said, "Right. Those books in my room — this kid used to go read them often. I knew it at the time, so I wrote some things in them, hoping the kid would take a look. But it was no use."

"It was useful. If he'd gone out and bought other books to read, his crimes would have actually come sooner, that's all."

The old man took a sip of wine and said, "This case — I had already retired by then. I knew this person. Years ago, his wife got sick, and he stole something once. I caught him, locked him up for a few days, then let him go. What he actually stole was just a few bottles of drinks — he wanted to let his wife have something to drink before she died. The shopkeeper was kind too, didn't say anything."

"He didn't steal or rob. He collected scrap, and when he couldn't manage it anymore, he and his kid went together to sell shou zhua bing, snacks and such. The two of them gradually started doing better. But who could have known — the old man went out collecting junk and ended up hitting someone else's dog."

"I have the video too. That dog wasn't on a leash — it ran out on its own."

"By today's standards, even if you'd beaten it to death, you'd still be in the right."