Han Fei: Thank You So F***ing Much

In reality, half of what Xu Mo had just said to Han Fei was based on his own speculation, while the other half was pure bluff.

Whether things were really as Xu Mo described, even he himself wasn’t entirely sure. But he did know one thing: arriving at Binjiang Bridge before 6:30 would definitely yield results.

Because… that’s what the clue provided by his system had told him.

Xu Mo had said all that to Han Fei mainly to convince him that the killer would indeed frequent Binjiang Bridge to satisfy his twisted desires, thereby persuading Han Fei and the other officers to accompany him to the bridge right away.

Compared to going alone to catch the killer, bringing everyone along had its advantages. If they managed to apprehend the killer later, the others wouldn’t ask too many questions. Instead, they’d simply think highly of Xu Mo’s judgment, saving him the trouble of having to explain himself.

“Let’s head out, then!” Han Fei nodded.

Although he said this, what Han Fei was really thinking was: Whether it works or not, let’s give it a shot anyway!

Even if Xu Mo’s reasoning seemed a bit hasty, what if it turned out to be true? What if the killer really did frequent the bridge to indulge in his perverse desires?

If they didn’t go and check it out, wouldn’t they be missing a chance to crack the case?

Even if the odds were as low as one percent, Han Fei was willing to give it a try.

After all, no matter how slim the hope, it was still better than his original plan of temporarily shelving the case.

Putting the case on hold would essentially mean the police department was giving up on solving it.

For Han Fei, as long as there was even a glimmer of hope, he would give it his all.

The two of them walked out of the office one after the other.

As soon as they stepped outside, they were met with the sight of the entire team of officers looking utterly dejected.

The case was baffling, and they had no leads to work with. It was frustrating for everyone.

“What’s with all the long faces? It’s not like the case is completely hopeless,” Han Fei scolded when he saw the officers in such low spirits. “Pull yourselves together! Captain Xu just came up with an idea that might help us crack the case.”

Hearing this, the previously disheartened officers immediately perked up, all of them looking up at Han Fei and Xu Mo.

“What’s the idea?”

“I knew Captain Xu would come up with something!”

“Captain Han, what do you need us to do?”

“…”

“Go change into plain clothes first. Once you’re done, meet at the entrance. I’ll fill you in on the details on the way,” Han Fei said without wasting any time, instructing the officers to change into civilian attire.

They were going to lie in wait for suspicious individuals, so wearing police uniforms was out of the question. If the killer had a habit of strolling on the bridge, the sight of uniformed officers would likely scare him off.

“Got it!” The officers scrambled to their feet, eager to change into plain clothes.

Before long, the officers, now dressed in civilian outfits, gathered at the entrance of the police station.

…

Binjiang Bridge.

6:07 PM.

The bridge not only accommodated vehicular traffic but also had dedicated pedestrian and bicycle lanes on both sides, enclosed by railings.

Some of the nearby residents chose to take a stroll on the bridge after dinner, enjoying the breeze and aiding digestion.

At the same time, young couples often used the bridge as a picturesque spot for photos.

After all, holding hands while watching the sunset on the bridge was a romantic option.

It’s worth noting that today, Binjiang Bridge was particularly lively, with more stalls than usual set up along the bridge.

There were stalls selling jianbing (Chinese crepes), rice noodle rolls, small toys, ice jelly, and candied hawthorns.

There was even a beggar lying on the ground, covered with a tattered quilt and holding a broken bowl, as well as a fortune-teller waving a flag and offering his services.

Without exception, all of these people were undercover officers in disguise.

When it came to disguises, they were professionals!

Among them, the fortune-teller was Xu Mo, the jianbing seller was Han Fei, the toy seller was Li Chen, the candied hawthorn seller was Chen Ke, and…

As for the beggar lying on the ground with a tattered quilt and a broken bowl, that was Wang Dachuan.

“Please, have mercy, kind folks…” While continuously calling out to passersby, Wang Dachuan used his small, shifty eyes to scrutinize everyone who walked past him.

At the same time.

Han Fei found himself surrounded by three young men with a distinct Jin City accent.

“I didn’t expect to find a jianbing seller here… Boss, I’ll take one, please.”

“I’ll have one too. It’s been ages since I last had jianbing.”

“Same here.”

Looking at the young men in front of him, Han Fei was momentarily stunned.

I don’t know how to make jianbing!

But Han Fei knew better than to blow his cover. If he did, the entire operation tonight would be ruined.

Moreover, it might alert the killer, and if the case was compromised because of this, he’d be the one to blame. Han Fei had no intention of becoming the scapegoat.

Fortunately, he had bought jianbing before and had a rough idea of how it was made. It was just a matter of spreading the batter on a griddle and adding fillings.

How hard could it be? Han Fei thought to himself.

With that in mind, Han Fei gritted his teeth, put on a smile, and picked up the tools for making jianbing. He scooped a ladle of batter from the bucket and slapped it onto the griddle with a flourish, making it look like he knew what he was doing.

“What would you like in yours? Any dietary restrictions? Do you want lettuce and sausage?”

“No, no, none of that. Who puts lettuce and sausage in jianbing… That’s heresy! Wait, you’re not from Jin City, are you?”

Han Fei chuckled awkwardly and shook his head. “No, I’m from Ram City.”

“You’re not from Jin City, and you’re selling authentic Jin City jianbing? Forget it, I don’t want it anymore.” One of the young men, upon hearing that Han Fei wasn’t from Jin City and was even considering adding lettuce and sausage to the jianbing, immediately lost interest.

Hearing this, Han Fei let out a sigh of relief. No order? Perfect! He really couldn’t make this stuff.

Setting up a stall here was just a way to blend in and stay undercover.

However, just as Han Fei was secretly rejoicing, the most earnest-looking of the three young men spoke up.

Pointing at the tools in Han Fei’s hands, he tried to persuade his companions.

“The boss has already started making it. Isn’t it rude to back out now? Let’s just buy it. It’s a small business, after all. They can’t afford to waste time.”

After saying this, the seemingly honest and good-natured young man smiled at Han Fei. “Right, boss? Go ahead, we’ll still take it.”

Han Fei: “…”

I freaking thank you for that!