Chapter Forty-Four: Failing to Appreciate Kindness

After spending a day recuperating in the hospital, if not for Liu Molan’s insistence, he would have already slipped out to cause trouble. Unable to withstand his pleading, Liu Molan finally agreed to the discharge on the second day. Just then, Sun Qi arrived.

“Qin Yang, I’d like to discuss something with you,” Sun Qi said, noticing that Qin Yang seemed to have lost much of his confidence. The colleagues in the assessment department had already confirmed that the statements given by the two officers were false, and colleagues from the criminal investigation unit had gathered evidence. Faced with irrefutable proof, those two could only admit they had helped Yu Wei teach Qin Yang a lesson, but genuinely didn’t know where Yu Wei’s firearm had come from. As a result, poor Yu Wei’s father was implicated and caught up in the investigation. So, seeing Qin Yang now, Sun Qi couldn’t muster much of a policeman’s pride.

Qin Yang glanced at her. “What is it?”

“I know you have a truly powerful intelligence network,” Sun Qi said, looking at Qin Yang. “I want your help in investigating something.”

“Don’t accuse me. Whoever holds such a thing can’t be a good person. I don’t have it,” Qin Yang replied bluntly. Who knows if this was another trap set by those old foxes? He wasn’t being overly suspicious—it was simply essential to be cautious when dealing with certain secret departments. Otherwise, if he got sold out, he’d have nowhere to air his grievances. Who would trust someone wielding an intelligence system? Most importantly, he didn’t even possess such a thing.

Sun Qi grew anxious. “This is a personal request. It has nothing to do with anyone else.”

“Impossible!” Qin Yang refused outright. “How am I supposed to help with this? The last two times I got information, it was purely by chance. Where do you expect me to start investigating for you?”

“You!” Sun Qi stamped her foot in frustration, her brows furrowing as she glared at Qin Yang. “Don’t blame me for being ruthless. I could still make something of your assault on a police officer.”

“Don’t even try. Do you think I’m scared?” Qin Yang retorted, unceremoniously. “Let’s not pretend—I acted in self-defense. If this gets out, it’s your police system that’ll be embarrassed. I might even get a consolation prize out of it. Ha! The police assisting criminals to oppress honest citizens and fleeing at the first sign of danger. Captain Sun, don’t try to get anything out of me. I don’t care about being laughed at; I’m impervious to your tricks.”

As he spoke, Qin Yang finished tidying up his clothes. Liu Molan, observing the exchange, understood the underlying stakes. Once caught up in such matters, there would always be a next time, and so on. If Qin Yang really had this intelligence system, he’d likely be worn down by sweet talk and bribes and eventually absorbed into some national organization. As for Qin Yang, there would be no good outcome—this was the reality. Even if Sun Qi genuinely wanted his help, who could guarantee there weren’t others watching him from behind the scenes?

“You really won’t help?” Sun Qi complained. “Do you believe I couldn’t slap a charge on you right now?”

“Just try it!” Qin Yang raised an eyebrow. “I’m the victim here, being oppressed. Are you trying to ruin the last shred of dignity the police have? Right now, you’d better treat me well. If I’m not happy, I might just lose my temper.”

Hearing this, Sun Qi was deflated. Damn it, this bastard had her at a disadvantage and wouldn’t let go until he squeezed every bit of benefit out of it. Realizing this, Sun Qi felt helpless and glanced at Liu Molan. “Fine, if you won’t help, I refuse to believe I can’t solve it myself.” With that, she stormed off in a huff.

Liu Molan sighed. “Can’t you refuse more tactfully?”

“There’s no room for tact here. The more tactful I am, the worse I feel,” Qin Yang shook his head. “Otherwise, she’d cling to me shamelessly, maybe try some tricks, and I might actually agree.”

“Shameless,” Liu Molan muttered, giving him a kick when he grinned toothily. She hurried out of the hospital, and Qin Yang followed. But as he stepped outside, two men approached him cautiously, their robust frames at odds with their tentative demeanor. Seeing Qin Yang, they seemed somewhat uneasy.

“Young Master Qin.” Qin Yang recognized one of them—one of Qin Lie’s subordinates, named Zhao Bin or something. “What was your name again? Zhao what?”

“Zhao Bin,” he quickly replied. “Young Master Qin, about last night, we wanted—”

“Wanted what? An explanation?” Qin Yang asked as he walked. “Go on.”

Zhao Bin was surprised to be given a chance to explain, so different from the terrifying figure described by the three brothers last night. He relaxed a little. “Young Master Qin, last night was actually arranged by the old man to test you—a pure test, nothing aggressive. Boss Cao didn’t expect you’d end up in a dangerous situation, leading to a huge misunderstanding.”

“Finished explaining?” Qin Yang looked at him.

Zhao Bin felt even more nervous and nodded.

“Let me say this,” Qin Yang adopted a genial smile, patting Zhao Bin’s shoulder. “Last night, I was seriously injured, my right arm nearly ruined. I could have taken revenge, but your people interfered, forcing me to compromise with two men who were already under my control and let them go. You tell me, isn’t that frustrating?”

Zhao Bin was speechless, and his companion stood silent, afraid to say anything wrong.

“For the sake of that Cao fellow, I didn’t kill those three. Was I right? Killing them would have been easy, and I wouldn’t have faced any legal consequences. Instead, it’s Cao who’ll have to deal with my repeated complaints. Isn’t that fairer?” Qin Yang pressed.

Zhao Bin nodded instinctively.

“So you think I did the right thing.” Qin Yang patted his chest, like an elder patiently explaining a principle. “Despite my frustration, I still considered Cao’s reputation and safety. Wasn’t that right?”

Zhao Bin nodded again.

“Then why the hell are you here to reconcile with me?” Suddenly, Qin Yang’s expression turned furious. He shouted, “Do you have any shame left? What do you take me for? Someone easy to talk to? Here to chat about family matters? Get lost, or I’ll make sure you spend ten years here! Get out now!”

Faced with Qin Yang’s abrupt shift, Zhao Bin trembled all over, unsure what to say. His companion, sensing the danger, hurriedly tugged at him, and the two fled in panic.

“Ungrateful fools,” Qin Yang dusted off his clothes, cursing at their retreating backs with the flair of a street scold. Liu Molan, standing nearby, felt her cheeks flush—there were plenty of people coming and going, and Qin Yang’s lack of decorum was truly embarrassing.