Chapter Fourteen: Acting According to the Rules

The front and rear covers of the car had both come off. It was clear that the front cover had been forcibly yanked off by some external force, while the rear cover showed several dented marks, as if struck off by a hammer or some other hard object.

Qin Tian immediately pieced it together: this was an act of deliberate retaliation by that traffic cop!

The thought made Qin Tian’s anger surge. This was intentional destruction of someone else’s property!

He considered his options, then called Lin Jian.

Lin Jian was in the middle of a team meeting. Recently, several bodies had turned up mysteriously in the northern suburbs of Wushi. The victims had died in terrifying ways, as if mauled by wild beasts. But there were no forests around Wushi—where could any wild beasts have come from? These murders had left him swamped.

“Let’s take a break,” Lin Jian told the group, waving his hand before answering the call.

“Qin Tian, what now?” Lin Jian’s tone was curt, his mind clearly elsewhere.

“Captain Lin, my car was wrecked by that traffic cop. What should I do about it?” Qin Tian asked.

“Your car was wrecked?” Lin Jian was startled, then immediately furious. “That little bastard!” he roared.

“Huh?” Qin Tian was taken aback, confused by Lin Jian’s outburst. Was Lin Jian cursing at him?

“No, don’t misunderstand, I wasn’t cursing you,” Lin Jian quickly explained, realizing his lapse. “This is my fault. The traffic cop who checked your car is my nephew, Lin Zhiyong. I just didn’t expect that he’s been spoiled to such an extent.”

“So, after all this, it turns out he’s your relative, Captain Lin? What do you say we do about this?” Qin Tian replied with a touch of irony.

“There’s no need for sarcasm. Lin Zhiyong’s father is the municipal party secretary, Shen Mingfei. This makes things a bit tricky,” Lin Jian said.

“His dad’s surname is Shen? Why doesn’t he have his father’s surname? Is his dad the live-in son-in-law?” Qin Tian asked, surprised.

“Yes. Lin Zhiyong’s mother comes from a special background, so it’s best not to involve her,” Lin Jian replied.

“Isn’t his mother your sister?” Qin Tian pressed.

“Something like that, but we’re not really in contact. There’s a story there, but we can discuss it another time. Right now, the question is, what do you intend to do?” Lin Jian asked.

“What do I intend to do? I was just about to ask you that, Captain Lin,” Qin Tian shot back, rolling his eyes.

“How about this—settle it privately. Let him compensate you for the damages at full value, plus some extra for your trouble. I’ll mediate. How does that sound?” Lin Jian proposed.

Qin Tian considered it. He wasn’t one to stir up trouble; if it could be settled privately, so be it. “Alright, give me a moment. The car isn’t mine, after all. I’ll call the Jiang family to see what they want to do,” Qin Tian said.

“Fine. If there are no issues, come down to the station,” Lin Jian agreed.

Qin Tian hung up and dialed Jiang Tianxiang’s number. He explained the situation from start to finish. When Jiang Tianxiang heard that the municipal party secretary Shen Mingfei was involved, he frowned. The Jiang Group was already in a sensitive period. For just a car, he didn’t want to make a fuss. He told Qin Tian to agree to a private settlement.

After ending the call with Jiang Tianxiang, Qin Tian drove to the police station.

Standing at the entrance, Qin Tian sighed. It seemed he was making frequent trips to the police station lately—not a good omen.

He stated his business. As expected, Lin Jian had already briefed the staff, so Qin Tian was led inside and asked to wait in the lounge while Lin Jian finished his meeting.

About an hour later, Lin Jian finally arrived.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Brother Qin. I was held up,” Lin Jian apologized.

“No worries. Business comes first,” Qin Tian waved it off.

“I spoke to Lin Zhiyong already. He should be here soon. Let’s see if we can have a proper talk,” Lin Jian said.

Qin Tian nodded.

Before long, Lin Zhiyong arrived, still in his traffic police uniform, clearly having rushed over from work.

“You bastard, trying to set me up? Running to tattle to my uncle?” Lin Zhiyong stormed in, unleashing a barrage of curses at Qin Tian.

Qin Tian frowned. Was this any way to conduct a negotiation?

“Zhiyong! Enough!” Lin Jian’s frown deepened. His nephew was truly spoiled beyond measure.

“Uncle, he parked illegally. I towed the car—nothing wrong with that!” Lin Zhiyong protested.

“Towing is one thing, but what about smashing the car?” Qin Tian forced down his anger.

“Smashing? That junk heap of yours couldn’t handle the tow—it fell apart. How is that my fault?” Lin Zhiyong sneered.

“Do you take everyone for a fool? It’s easy to tell the difference between damage from towing and deliberate smashing,” Qin Tian retorted, half laughing in disbelief.

“In any case, there’s nothing to discuss! Either take your car or leave it. There’s nothing else to negotiate,” Lin Zhiyong declared harshly.

“Captain Lin, you’ve seen your nephew’s attitude. I’ll just follow proper procedure—have the damages assessed and go through the legal process. The outcome will depend on the severity,” Qin Tian shrugged.

Even a clay Buddha has a temper. Not wanting trouble doesn’t mean fearing it.

“Do as you please! Let’s see what you can do to me!” Lin Zhiyong snorted and strode out.

Lin Jian watched his nephew leave, his expression dark.

“Captain Lin, there’s nothing more to be done. I’m a law-abiding citizen—I’ll let the law handle it,” Qin Tian said, rising to leave.

“Brother Qin, this is my fault,” Lin Jian said apologetically.

“They say nephews take after their uncles. Clearly, he didn’t take after you,” Qin Tian joked lightly.

“I’m off,” he added, waving as he headed out.

As Qin Tian walked to the door, his eye caught the report in Lin Jian’s hand. The heading mentioned wild animal attacks, possibly by wolves or tigers.

Qin Tian stopped in his tracks. Could it be the Big Wolf? But the Big Wolf would never harm people.

“Captain Lin, what’s that report about?” Qin Tian asked.

“This?” Lin Jian waved the stack of papers.

Qin Tian nodded.

“I suppose there’s no harm in telling you. It’ll probably hit the news soon,” Lin Jian said after a moment’s thought. “In the northern suburbs of Wushi, several bodies have been found. The victims don’t have anything in common—men and women, young and old. All died horrifically, as if torn apart by wild beasts.

“And judging by their expressions, they must have suffered terribly before death.

“These animals are vicious. They didn’t just go for the throat and end it quickly—they bit their victims a dozen times, torturing them to death.”

The memory of those pained faces chilled Lin Jian to the bone.

“Any idea what kind of animal it was?” Qin Tian asked.

“Probably wolves or tigers. My guess is they escaped from a zoo or circus. We’re investigating now,” Lin Jian replied.

Qin Tian’s heart skipped a beat. Dear god, let it not be the Big Wolf. If it really was the Big Wolf attacking people, this could turn into a disaster…