Chapter 44

Chapter 44 3. panic room-18

December 29, 11:40 PM. Even though Xinhai City, with a population of over twenty million, is known as the “City That Never Sleeps,” in fact, most people had finished their day’s work and were preparing for or already asleep.

About 140 kilometers from Xinhai City, in Haitang Town, outside the walls of a self-built three-story villa, the police had quietly and silently surrounded the place.

After confirming that all possible escape routes were tightly covered, the captain of the city’s Criminal Investigation Unit, holding a walkie-talkie and with a cold, stern expression, gave the order: “Prepare to arrest!”

A dozen or so fully armed officers broke open the villa gate and stormed inside.

A few minutes later, the officers handcuffed a young man behind his back and led the suspect out of the house.

Behind him was a simple-looking family of three—the middle-aged couple in their fifties or sixties, and a girl in her twenties. When “invited” into the police car, they looked utterly bewildered, seemingly unaware of what had happened.

The arrest operation was swift and clean. Nearby neighbors only then noticed the commotion, hurriedly climbed out of bed, and gathered by doors and windows, but before figuring anything out, they saw the police cars driving away, sirens wailing, disappearing into the night.

The arrested man, named Fan Feng, was the missing security guard sent by a security company to watch the old Nancheng Dyeing Factory.

He was shoved into the police car driven by Shen Zun. As soon as his buttocks touched the seat, he cried out impatiently: “I—I confess! I’ll confess right now!”

Before Shen Zun could question him, Fan Feng urgently continued: “I didn’t kill anyone! Really! I didn’t kill that person!”

Shen Zun turned his head, glaring fiercely at the young man in the back seat: “The person you’re talking about—who is it!?”

“Of course, the kid from the Liu Yang family!”

Fan Feng answered immediately without hesitation.

As he looked up and met Shen Zun’s piercing gaze, honed on hundreds of criminals, he instantly fell silent like a duck with its neck squeezed. After a few gulps, he stammered: “Th-that… also, uh, right, Brother Yu wasn’t killed by me either. It was… it was Brother Luo who did it…”

Hearing this, Shen Zun thought, it seems Chang Yuxing even used the fake identity “Yu Ping” in front of his accomplices.

According to police investigation, Fan Feng, 28, from Y Province, had a troubled past in local gangs. He had been imprisoned for several years due to assault causing disability and moved to Xinhai City after his release.

People like him, young and strong but with criminal records, often chose security work to avoid returning to old ways.

Fan Feng joined a Xinhai City security company and last year was assigned to guard the old Nancheng Dyeing Factory site.

Unexpectedly, he betrayed his duty, conspiring with Chang Yuxing and the so-called “Brother Luo” to kidnap wealthy businessman Liu Yang’s only son, Liu Lingxiao, hiding him in a secret room in the factory warehouse.

After Liu Lingxiao died, Fan Feng realized he could no longer stay at the factory and fled to Haitang Town, hiding at his aunt’s house.

Once the kidnappers’ identities were known, the police quickly traced Fan Feng to his aunt’s home, stormed in at night, and captured him without hesitation.

“Is the ‘Brother Luo’ you mentioned named Luo Jianqiang?”

Shen Zun asked directly.

“You… you know?”

Fan Feng first looked surprised, then, as if realizing the inevitable, nodded with a sad face: “Of course. You’ve found me, so Brother Luo would be exposed too…”

Trembling, he glanced at the stern bearded officer in the passenger seat: “I really didn’t kill that kid, really…”

Shen Zun ignored his protest, pulled out his phone, and called An Pingdong:

“…We’ve captured… yes, Luo Jianqiang. You act fast, make sure he doesn’t escape.”

He hung up, then looked back at Fan Feng.

“Alright, you can explain now. How did you target the Liu Yang family, and how did the hostage die?”

……

At the same time, 160 kilometers away at Xinhai City Yuntian Airport, An Pingdong slipped his phone into his coat pocket and, with Qi Shanyu, hurried through the still-busy international terminal.

Besides them, several other teams of plainclothes officers were present.

According to ticket records, the man they were chasing, Luo Jianqiang, had booked a red-eye flight at 2:20 AM on December 30—about two and a half hours from now—to Siam, clearly intending to flee.

“Good job, Xiao Qi. You’ve really earned merit this time!”

The two acted nonchalant, leaning against the elliptical platform on the terminal’s third floor, with a clear view of the check-in counters directly below the escalator.

An Pingdong patted Qi Shanyu on the shoulder: “Once we catch him, this case will be closed!”

Qi Shanyu smiled at his partner, though his expression betrayed little joy. “Just luck, I’d say…”

When the police received the kidnapping report of Liu Lingxiao, they immediately set up inspection points on major traffic routes, checking every suspicious vehicle day and night. Especially white Wuling vans were stopped and thoroughly searched.

Even so, the white van used to abduct Liu Lingxiao on Jinxiu Road was found one and a half days later, 60 kilometers away in Ximen Village, with one kidnapper’s body inside. Later, Liu Lingxiao’s body was found at the old Nancheng Dyeing Factory site nearby, confirming the kidnappers had transported the hostage north.

From Jinxiu Road to Ximen Village, crossing half the city, it would have been nearly impossible to completely avoid the checkpoints.

The Criminal Investigation Unit and Traffic Police repeatedly studied maps but couldn’t figure out how the kidnappers drove the white Wuling van past multiple inspection points to transport Liu Lingxiao from east to north.

They speculated the kidnappers may have used another vehicle to move the boy to the factory, while the white van, with legal plates switched, passed the checkpoints openly.

Qi Shanyu, however, noticed the knot on the rope used to bind the child’s hands.

As a Public Security University graduate, Qi Shanyu knew professional escape, search, and rescue techniques, including common knot-tying methods.

He quickly realized the kidnappers used a “human-measuring knot” on the boy’s hands. This knot is secure, easy to tie, doesn’t slip or deform, and is easy to untie. For securing the child to the iron frame, the rope was extended and joined with a double fisherman's knot, which is strong and hard to undo.

Ordinary people rarely encounter these complex knots. Even trained officers like Qi Shanyu would only use simple cross knots on a weak child, not these professional ones.

Thus, using these knots indicated a subconscious, habitual knowledge—likely someone who regularly worked with knots.

Excluding knitters and a few outdoor enthusiasts, he realized all these knots fall under one category: “sailor’s knots.”

Xinhai City, surrounded by sea with two islands, has thriving maritime, ferry, and fishing industries, employing many maritime workers.

Seeing the knots, Qi Shanyu realized: if one kidnapper was an experienced maritime worker, the child’s transport might not have been by another car but by boat.

After Qi Shanyu suggested this, Captain Shen Zun checked maps and found that while a water route from east to north was longer than city roads, it was feasible.

Nearby, small docks served fishing boats, suitable for departure or return.

With this possibility, police methodically checked the registration of all boats entering and leaving these docks, finally tracking the owner, Luo Jianqiang.

His fishing boat’s movements matched the timing of the kidnapping. Crucially, Luo Jianqiang had a criminal record and had been imprisoned for arson at the same time as security guard Fan Feng—making him highly suspicious.

“Here he comes.”

Just past midnight, An Pingdong and Qi Shanyu saw a tall man in his forties stride into the check-in hall.

Unlike other travelers, he appeared anxious, constantly scanning the surroundings, alert to anyone approaching.

The man was tall, dark-skinned, with broad shoulders and a muscular build. Even in a winter coat, his fierce, almost predatory aura was evident—this was their target, Luo Jianqiang.

“Go!”

An Pingdong prepared to go downstairs to intercept, but Qi Shanyu suddenly placed one hand on the railing, vaulted over the glass barrier, and leaped from the third floor behind Luo Jianqiang.

An Pingdong was stunned, too late to scold his partner. Qi Shanyu used his downward momentum to tackle Luo Jianqiang to the ground, rolling and twisting to end up on top, one arm around his neck, the other gripping his shoulder from the side.

“Luo Jianqiang, you’re under arrest!”

As Qi Shanyu restrained the kidnapper’s struggles, he pulled handcuffs from his waist and secured Luo Jianqiang’s wrists with a click.