Chapter 277: Catching a Man Doesn't Necessarily Require Brandishing Swords and Spears

On the road, Ma Jian drove while Yu Dazhang sat in the passenger seat with his eyes closed, resting.

He looked calm, but inwardly he was feeling somewhat anxious.

The rental apartment wasn't hard to find; the officer who had previously investigated Han Lianwen had reported the exact address to Yu Dazhang.

He just couldn't bear to watch what was about to unfold.

Wan Bo was finished for sure.

During Yu Dazhang's phone call with Han Lianwu, Wan Bo's name had never come up even once.

Both men tacitly ignored that person.

The reason was simple: Han Lianwu had called three days after Wan Bo went missing.

That meant he had already finished the job.

Three days was plenty of time to settle every grudge and every grievance.

As for Wan Bo's fate…

There had already been plenty of vivid examples, all identical, so Yu Dazhang was no longer curious about it.

Right now he only hoped to bring Han Lianwu in.

Bring him in alive.

Twenty minutes later, the car stopped in an area of abandoned single-story houses.

The headlights swept across a wall where a conspicuous character "拆" (Demolish) had been painted in red, with a circle drawn around it.

"Could it really be here?" Ma Jian asked, worry and doubt in his tone.

Once the headlights were off, the surroundings were pitch-black — you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Generally, in a demolition area like this, once all the residents had moved out, the water and power would be cut off; even vagrants wouldn't choose to settle in a place like this.

"It shouldn't be wrong."

Yu Dazhang scanned his surroundings — pitch black and silent, not even the shadow of a person to be seen.

Human beings always harbor an inexplicable fear of the dark.

Especially when one is in a desolate area utterly devoid of any sign of life.

"How about this — you guys wait here for Captain Xu and the others, and I'll go in and take a look."

As he spoke, Yu Dazhang pulled open the car door and got out.

Ma Jian got out as well:

"I'll go with you."

"No." Yu Dazhang refused:

"In an environment like this, more people only makes things more likely to go wrong. I'll go in first and look for the rental apartment from back then. If I haven't come out in a quarter of an hour, you and Captain Xu and the others can come in and find me."

He truly didn't dare take Ma Jian along.

If they ran into Han Lianwu, both sides would very likely have a stress reaction.

Although Han Lianwu didn't have a gun, he had served in the military for eleven years after all; his ways of dealing with an enemy went far beyond firearms.

If it led to casualties, he couldn't bear that responsibility either.

"But… you alone — if Han Lianwu really is inside, he's in the dark and we're in the light. It's too dangerous."

It was obvious Ma Jian was very worried about his safety.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

As he spoke, Yu Dazhang pulled up the flashlight function on his phone for illumination, and before leaving he didn't forget to remind him:

"Remember, don't come in to find me until a quarter of an hour has passed. Even if Captain Xu and the others arrive early, you still have to wait until the time is up before acting."

Once his instructions were done, he held up his phone and walked toward the darkness ahead.

Although it was a demolition area, the houses were all still intact — clearly the residents had only just moved out, and formal construction hadn't begun yet.

Checking the house numbers, Yu Dazhang quickly found the rental apartment from back then.

He turned off the phone's light, put it back in his pocket, and gently knocked on the door — the "thump thump" sound was especially clear in this empty, quiet place.

"I'm here." Yu Dazhang said softly.

At this point he was certain Han Lianwu was inside the room.

His hearing far surpassed that of an ordinary person; the moment he approached the house, he had heard breathing inside.

Two people!

If his guess was right, Han Lianwu had brought Wan Bo along too.

The light inside the room came on, and at the same time footsteps and a voice came through:

"One moment." The door then opened, and a tall man in camouflage stood at the entrance.

There was a smile on his face, as warm as if he were greeting an old friend.

Yu Dazhang gave him a nod, then followed him inside.

In the instant Han Lianwu turned around, Yu Dazhang thought about making a move and subduing him, but the moment that thought arose, it was suppressed by a strong sense of unease.

Yu Dazhang didn't dare.

The man in front of him was no ordinary person; if he dared to turn his back to Yu Dazhang, he was confident he could handle any sudden situation.

Never underestimate a professional soldier.

Especially a special forces soldier who had carried out special missions in the military.

A man like that even has a blank file — you simply can't imagine what he's been through.

Once inside, Yu Dazhang glanced at the rechargeable emergency light hanging on the wall and quipped:

"Pretty well prepared — I thought you'd be lighting candles."

As he spoke, he casually glanced at the wooden plank bed in the room, where a person lay flat on his back, his features impossible to make out.

!

Han Lianwu didn't pay any attention to his teasing, and instead said with some curiosity:

"I didn't expect you to be so young. Are all the criminal police in Songhai as outstanding as you?"

Hearing him mention information about himself, Yu Dazhang wasn't surprised.

Since he'd concluded someone was gathering intel for him, it was hardly strange that his personal information had been leaked.

"You know quite a lot."

Yu Dazhang looked at him and smiled:

"At a time like this, the only one who could help you gather information, I think, would be your comrades-in-arms."

Hearing the words "comrades-in-arms," Han Lianwu's face finally changed, no longer as calm as before.

"Let the matter end with me."

His tone carried a plea:

"You're very capable, really very capable. From Songhai to S Province, you've investigated everything that happened back then clearly and thoroughly."

"Do you know, to find out what these beasts did, I spent a full three years."

"I admit, my comrades-in-arms helped me gather information. Even if I don't say it, you can still find out. I only hope you won't keep investigating."

"When the person dies, the case closes. I'll give you an answer."

After saying this, he stared at Yu Dazhang, his gaze carrying a hint of complexity and guilt.

Quite the thuggish sense of brotherhood... Yu Dazhang said nothing, and gave no response.

He didn't dare promise the man anything on this matter.

"Thank you." Han Lianwu, seeing him silent, immediately understood:

"Thank you very much."

Yu Dazhang didn't pick up the thread, but instead took another look at the person lying on the wooden plank bed.

"That's Wan Bo." Han Lianwu explained:

"He's not dead, just passed out. I didn't want him to disturb our conversation."

Yu Dazhang nodded, then asked:

"How many fingers is he missing this time?"

"One... none left." Han Lianwu revealed a mocking smile:

"Didn't expect him to be the most cowardly among these people. Before they even cut his fingers, he'd already been scared out of his wits."

"But a person like this led the way in committing the most cruel acts. How ironic."

Did they cut his toes too... the words were right at the tip of his tongue, but Yu Dazhang still swallowed them back.

No need to think about it—Wan Bo must have gone mad too.

Now some things could only be asked of the Han Lianwu before him.

"Do you know why they came up with the name 'Twelve Young Masters of Xi City'?"

Yu Dazhang asked this purely to satisfy his own curiosity.

He always felt this name must have some origin, not the kind thrown together on a whim.

"Wan Bo's childhood neighbors happened to be twelve playmates. Later the houses were demolished and they scattered. He chose that name to remember his old buddies."

After Han Lianwu finished explaining, he suddenly burst out laughing:

"That beast actually has sentiment. Hilarious, isn't it, hahahaha, he fucking actually has sentiment."

(End of chapter)