Chapter 10: An Excuse
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qianlin looked Xiao Luo up and down. Now she recognized him: He was the guy who rescued a little girl from a crime gang earlier and whom she had a brief encounter with outside the entrance to the police station.
It was because of his actions that she was able to crack a criminal gang that cripples kids and forces them to work as street beggars. Today, she saved 20 enslaved children who had their hands and feet broken. Thinking about this made her soften her gaze toward Xiao Luo.
“Team Leader Gu?”
The door of the interrogation room opened, and a police officer leaned half his torso in. It was evident he had something to report.
Before leaving the room, Gu Qianlin ordered the other two officers to continue interrogating Xiao Luo.
“Team Leader Gu, we’ve investigated the ident.i.ties of those people. The bald guy, Li Dawei, goes by the name Baldie. The other 20 are his subordinates. We now know they’re part of the same group as the five we arrested this afternoon,” the male officer reported dryly.
Gu Qianlin was startled. Suddenly she felt as if everything became clear at once. “So, Li Dawei and his group started the fight to take revenge on Xiao Luo?”
“It looks that way.” I also spoke with the stall owner, who corroborated Xiao Luo’s story. They said he was just sitting there eating his noodles when Li Dawei and his gang suddenly ran over with knives and steel pipes, looking to make trouble. Li Dawei even flipped over Xiao Luo’s table; that’s what started the conflict.”
Gu Qianlin’s gaze drifted. She turned to another topic and asked, “Have you checked Xiao Luo’s biodata?”
“Yes. He was born into an ordinary farmer’s family in Xi Province and graduated from Xisheng Aeronautical University three years ago. He had been working for Huahai Corporation. His parents are one hundred percent farmers. He also has a younger sister who’s married and works as a nurse in a hospital in Jiangcheng. He … ”
Gu Qianlin waved and interrupted, “Xiao w.a.n.g, do you think anything’s wrong with this biodata?”
Officer Xiao w.a.n.g had a blank expression on his face, not understanding the nature of her question. He shook his head and said, “This is a very ordinary biodata. I found nothing amiss.”
“His biodata is fine, but Xiao Luo has a big problem.”
Gu Qianlin’s black brows knitted slightly, and she said in all seriousness, “He dealt with 28 crime members armed with knives and clubs all by himself. Not only was he not injured, but he caused 20 minor injuries and eight serious injuries. His combat skills put our entire elite SWAT team to shame.
Upon hearing this, officer Xiao w.a.n.g understood the problem.
He furrowed his brows and scratched the back of his head. His face was full of astonishment and doubt. “Yeah, Xiao Luo is an ordinary person according to what’s written in his biodata. But how could an ordinary person have such freakish skills?”
“So, there must be a problem with him!” Gu Qianlin a.s.serted.
“But that can’t be right. His biodata clearly states that he neither received any specialized training nor joined any organization. Also, his sister, Xiao Ruyi, who works at the People’s Hospital in Guangming district, confirmed that his biodata records are accurate, not false. Could he have received guidance from an expert when he was a child?”
“What do you mean?”
Gu Qianlin was even more puzzled: How could an ordinary person suddenly become a superhero with terrifying fighting abilities?
Officer Xiao w.a.n.g further expounded, “I mean, would there be an expert who happens to live as a hermit in their mountain village? The expert would have seen that he was dealing with a child prodigy and that Xiao Luo possessed an extraordinary physical const.i.tution when he imparted his skills to him. After all, it’s impossible to include something like that in a person’s biodata. ”
“Are you thinking of making a movie now? An expert living like a hermit? Hah!” Gu Qianlin rolled her eyes.
Officer Xiao w.a.n.g laughed in embarra.s.sment. He had watched similar movies; that’s how he came up with a wild guess like that.
At that moment, a fresh-faced young police officer came running over and saluted Gu Qianlin. “Team Leader Gu, a lawyer Ge, of Jiangcheng Law Firm, is here to post bail for a man named Xiao Luo.”
Lawyer Ge of Jiangcheng’s Law Firm?
Ge Zhongtian?!
The expression on Gu Qianlin’s and Xiao w.a.n.g’s faces changed slightly. Ge Zhongtian was a well-known attorney at Jiangcheng, a top firm. Even if someone had money, it was almost impossible to retain his services if the person had no status. Just who was this Xiao Luo that the likes of Ge Zhongtian would condescend to bail him out?
She had planned to investigate Xiao Luo further, but it seemed unlikely now.
******
“DING! Congratulations. You’ve earned ten points!”
“DING! Congratulations. You’ve earned twenty points!”
…
In the interrogation room, the system notifications sounded in Xiao Luo’s mind. The system had been reminding him of the points he was earning when he started fighting with the bald man and his group. So far, he had acc.u.mulated more than 250 points.
The door of the interrogation room creaked open, and Gu Qianlin and Officer Xiao w.a.n.g came in. She ordered two other police officers to remove the handcuffs from Xiao Luo.
She said icily, “You’re free to go, Xiao Luo!”
“You’ve confirmed that I acted in legitimate self-defense?” Xiao Luo stood up and asked with a smile.
“Your problem can be legitimate self-defense or excessive self-defense. If it wasn’t because you indirectly helped the police deliver a blow against crime, I wouldn’t be letting you go so easily,” said Gu Qianlin proudly as she stuffed her hands into her pants pocket.
“Oh, it seems that I have to thank Team Leader Gu for your generosity!” Xiao Luo strode toward the door.
“Wait.” Gu Qianlin suddenly stopped him.
Xiao Luo halted and said, “Officer? Is there anything else?”
“Where did you learn your fighting skills? Your biodata made no mention of your receiving any special training.” Gu Qianlin stared at him as if she was interrogating a suspect.
Xiao Luo froze for a moment, then he laughed and said, “I learned from an old beggar in our village when I was a child.”
Officer Xiao w.a.n.g was astonished. So I was right with my stupid guess! Isn’t this too much of a coincidence?
“What’s the old beggar’s name?” Gu Qianlin carefully observed the microexpressions on Xiao Luo’s face to confirm if he was lying.
“He was a horrible old geezer who used to victimize others for food and drink. I received my fair share of bullying from him when I was a kid.”
“What’s his name?”
“I don’t know his real name; the villagers used to call him Old Loony.”
“Where is he now?”
“He died a few years ago and was buried in the mountains. His body has probably fully decomposed by now.”
Xiao Luo knew this question would eventually come, hence his glib answer. Moreover, there really was a person like that in his village. He came over in the early years to escape famine and beg for food. There would be no cracks in his story if someone wanted to check it out.
Gu Qianlin was demoralized. Asking these questions was the same as not asking. Besides, her skill and technique at observing microexpressions, something she was proud of, seemed to be ineffective now. She couldn’t tell whether Xiao Luo was telling the truth or lies.
…..
At the gate of the police station, Ge Zhongtian, a grizzled man with gold-rimmed gla.s.ses, shook hands with Xiao Luo solemnly, “h.e.l.lo Mr. Xiao!”
Xiao Luo immediately understood why he was released from the police station so quickly.
“You’re the one who bailed me out?”
Ge Zhongtian nodded, “Yes, at Mr. Chu’s orders.”
“Mr. Chu?” Xiao Luo frowned. He couldn’t remember meeting anyone by that name.
“The boss of Chongshan House, Chu Yunxiong!” Ge Zhongtian said with a smile.