Chapter 364: Releasing the Tiger Back to the Mountains?

When he heard that he had missed out on 15 million by a whisker, Han Bing's heart shattered into pieces.

He felt life was like blowing bubbles, originally thinking he too was a God's favored child, able to blow colorful bubbles effortlessly.

He never expected that a casual sneeze from Lin Dongfan would make the bubbles vanish without a trace.

How could this be?

Even if you're a god who can cover the sky with one hand, you shouldn't toy with me like a clown, right? Wasn't it supposed to serve the people—have you forgotten?

A hundred thousand grievances kept fermenting in Han Bing's belly.

When he was about to burst his heavenly spirit cap.

Han Bing stubbornly pressed those grievances deep in his belly, not daring to utter a word; over thirty years of life experience had already taught him a social truth: times have changed, people's hearts are not ancient, now a crying child may not get milk, and might instead earn a stinging slap.

Under the night sky, Han Bing's gloomy emotions had already spread across his cheeks.

The only thing that made him relieved was:

Under the boundless night's veil, no one could see his broken emotions.

So he steadied himself.

He then began earnestly selling himself: "Two bosses, I feel I still have some value—would you consider it seriously? If you won't give the 15 million bounty, ten million will do."

"You've been arrested—what worth do you have?" Yang Qing said, which had a bit of a "one sword to pierce the heart" feel, making Han Bing laugh and cry at once.

Under the night sky, Lin Dongfan smiled, waiting for Han Bing's greedy heart.

Over the years, Lu Han had grown from a street thug into a rain‑calling jianghu boss, having pulled off more than just a couple of illegal schemes.

Han Bing was a lackey under Lu Han.

If Han Bing stepped forward and took a bite out of Lu Han, many things could be readily resolved.

But Lin Dongfan never thought of giving a bounty, thinking to himself that donating that ten million to an orphanage would be fragrant—why let this society‑harming bandit scoop up a basin full?

Lin Dongfan said: "Don't even think about the bounty—once you pass this village, there's no such shop. Before we caught you, if you defected and stabbed Lu Han with a knife, that would be 'abandoning darkness for light.' Now that you're arrested, this isn't abandoning darkness for light; you're a great male whore. Wanting to erect a merit monument after being a great male whore is utterly shameless."

"Chief Lin, you said this male whore—are you referring to... a whore?" Han Bing asked weakly.

Lin Dongfan nodded in the dark: "Exactly, whores are heartless, male whores are unrighteous. For that heartless, unrighteous old whore, I can only offer two words of contempt; the bounty is definitely out of the question."

"Chief Lin, don't speak so absolutely..." Han Bing still not giving up, insisted: "I really am not someone with zero value; I just lack a patron."

"Oh, you still know what a patron is? You've read books." Lin Dongfan chuckled: "Since we're all cultured folks, let's negotiate in a cultured way."

"Please speak, I'm listening." Han Bing listened attentively.

Lin Dongfan said: "Your surname is Han, your given name is Bing; I bet your father admired the warrior sage Han Xin, so he gave you this name. Do you know what Han Xin's most impressive feat was?"

Han Bing thought and hesitated before guessing: "The Battle of Gaixia, defeating Xiang Yu?"

"No." Lin Dongfan shook his head, correcting: "It was the humiliation between the legs; a real man can bend and stretch, be big or small, and even crawl under someone's trousers."

"Makes sense." Han Bing nodded in agreement.

Lin Dongfan added: "Since you're named Han Bing, you should also grasp Han Xin's spirit of being able to bend and stretch—when the sky falls, nothing matters."

"I get it—only the shameless can rise." Han Bing realized: "Please, boss, point me a path; whether you want me to drill or to lick, I can do it."

"Not bad comprehension."

Lin Dongfan solemnly patted Han Bing's shoulder.

Then he pointed his hand toward Lu Han at the foot of the mountain and continued: "I don't want you to drill, nor to lick—see? I want you to take him down in one go."

Han Bing frowned slightly: "That means even without half a penny of bounty, I still have to work my life for you—that's being able to bend and stretch. Chief Lin, to be frank, you actually have the talent to be a great male whore."

"Thanks for the praise." Lin Dongfan said: "Don't be disheartened; although I can't give you a bounty, I can help you apply for a reduced sentence. If you take down Lu Han, it counts as merit despite your crime. In the future you'll serve fewer years—think about it, it's actually quite a good deal. Too much resentment harms the intestines; scenery is best enjoyed with a broad view."

Han Bing smiled: "I like those last two lines of poetry."

"If you like it, then hurry up and march out; I'll watch your performance from the mountain."

Saying that, Lin Dongfan lightly pushed Han Bing with one hand.

Whether to go down the mountain or not was no longer up to Han Bing; under the night sky, he clutched a thumping, nervous heart and walked step by step down the mountain.

Yang Qing, who had been holding his silence, kept his eyes on Han Bing's receding back.

Until Han Bing vanished into the hazy night.

Yang Qing couldn't help muttering: "It was hard enough to catch him, and now you're letting him go down the mountain—if you messed up, he might not even want to earn merit despite his crime; then where would you put your face?"

"Having studied law for four years and seen so many criminal cases, have you ever seen a bandit who truly isn't afraid of death?" Lin Dongfan analyzed: "Han Bing's good point is that he's not impulsive; he weighs pros and cons."

"Weighing what pros and cons?" Yang Qing argued firmly: "If he really understood weighing pros and cons, would he follow Lu Han as a bandit? This is clearly just betting with his life."

"This is called a full-fed man not knowing the hunger of the starving." Lin Dongfan chuckled: "Do you know what family he was born into? Do you know what he's been through? Perhaps he took up this jianghu path because life forced him. When people are at a dead end, making mistakes is common, and they're not saints."

"Are you possessed? Today you're actually defending a bandit." Yang Qing gave a blatant look of contempt, but the night was too dark for Lin Dongfan to see.

Lin Dongfan stared fixedly at the movements below the mountain.

"Who defended him? How strange—I'm just objectively describing a social phenomenon."

"In reality, some people indeed turn to crime only when life forces them into a dead end or when they act on a sudden impulse."

"Therefore, the law doesn't immediately sentence people to death; it must leave room for repentance and reform."

"Today we give him a chance to earn merit despite his crime."

"This embodies the spirit of rule of law."

As this heap of rule‑of‑law concepts entered his ears, Yang Qing, standing under the night sky, was speechless; arguing like this, he had never been a match for Lin Dongfan.

Just now Han Bing had disappeared into the darkness, but now he reappeared in sight.

Han Bing had already reached the foot of the mountain.

He stepped into the range illuminated by the car lights.

Yang Qing waited eagerly: "Want to make a bet?"

"What to bet on?" Lin Dongfan asked.

Yang Qing stared fixedly at Han Bing below the mountain: "I bet he can't take down Lu Han. Even if he has the will, he lacks the strength. Lu Han still has two bodyguards beside him."

"Let's bet, who's afraid of whom." Lin Dongfan laughed: "If you lose, from now on when you see me, you must actively salute and greet me, calling me Grandpa Fan."