Chapter 127: Fatty Lu, North District Precinct

I shouted at the young ghost, and he quickly let go. He had bitten the officer quite hard, drawing blood from his finger. I pretended to apologize to the policeman, claiming the child didn't know any better. Tianbupa (Fearless) naturally showed no reaction. The officer was red with rage at being bitten by a child, but ultimately, there was nothing he could do.

Just as we were at a stalemate, another group of police arrived. As soon as the man leading them walked in, I recognized him. It was Lu Nan, the man mentioned in the notebook Xiao Mei gave me, known throughout the Yu City police system as the "Case-Solving King of the North District." Xiao Mei had warned me that he was formidable and not easily fooled, so I immediately grew vigilant.

Lu Nan was very obese; his uniform looked as though it might burst at any moment. Upon entering, he brushed the rain off his clothes and walked toward us. As he drew closer, his gaze locked onto me, causing a ripple of unease in my heart. His eyes were tiny, almost negligible compared to the rolls of fat on his face.

Yet, a strange thought crossed my mind: I felt as if this man’s eyes could see right through my intentions. Lu Nan asked the other officers what was going on, and someone recounted the process of our capture. Afterward, Lu Nan suddenly laughed, his facial fat quivering, and declared that regardless of whether our story was true or false, we would have to return to the North District Sub-bureau to get everything cleared up.

I did not refuse; the situation left us no choice.

After our encounter, Lu Nan grabbed the stair railing and slowly climbed upward. From behind, he looked like a ball of flesh, clearly struggling with mobility. While waiting for him, I caught snippets of conversation among his subordinates.

These officers seemed dissatisfied with him. They whispered that Lu Nan always arrived late, only appearing after the hard work was finished, yet he was the only one who took the credit. They also mentioned his service weapon, noting that it hadn't been fired in years—the magazine always contained exactly six bullets, never one less.

They gossiped about how he was cowardly and vain, wondering what kind of blind luck had allowed him to "solve" so many cases, large and small. As more people joined in, they agreed that Lu Nan was unworthy of his title and nowhere near the caliber of Shen Cheng, the "Case-Solving King of the South District."

I heard every word. Suddenly, someone coughed, and the whispering ceased instantly. Moments later, Lu Nan descended the stairs. When I saw him again, his face was twisted and pale, as if he had been severely shaken.

He wheezed as he walked down, muttering, "That kid has some truly peculiar tastes."

We had been in the room for several hours, and the police were preparing to withdraw. The decaying corpse was carried out; Lu Nan stood far away, clearly unwilling to come into contact with it. Once the body was moved, an officer reported that a handgun had been found in a bucket.

It was my pistol.

Lu Nan glanced at the three of us but said nothing, merely ordering that the gun be taken to the station for forensic analysis and that we be brought along as well.

***

We were loaded into a police car. I kept pondering Xuan Yi’s objective. He seemed to have entered that room, yet neither we nor the police found him, which suggested he only left the umbrella and those wet footprints to lure us inside. That we saw such a nauseating sight and ran into the North District police was likely no coincidence.

Lu Nan sat in the passenger seat of our car, complaining about when the rain in Yu City would finally stop. As I was deep in thought, he suddenly turned around and asked for my name.

It was strange. Normally, since we weren't tied up and only handcuffed, he should have had officers sitting beside us to prevent any tricks, but he seemed entirely unconcerned. I snapped back to reality and told him my name was Fang Han. He nodded with a smile.

"My surname is Lu. Some call me Fatty Lu, others call me Deputy Captain Lu, but I prefer 'Case-Solving King.' I've solved more cases than this kid beside you has eaten grains of rice." His self-aggrandizement left me at a loss for words; I had never met a police leader who boasted so openly.

Fatty Lu talked incessantly, regaling us with stories of his past cases. The officer driving seemed long accustomed to it. After twenty minutes, we arrived at a branch of the North District Sub-bureau. It was late, yet the station was brightly lit, with everyone working overtime, as if they had known this operation was coming.

Someone informed Fatty Lu that the corpse and the handgun had been sent to the forensic center. As for the perverted man we had encountered, the police had let him rest to avoid late-night interrogation, planning to question him in the morning. They asked Lu how to handle us.

He checked his watch and told them to put us in the lounge to rest.

We were locked in the room, which contained only a single bed. We were still soaking wet, wondering what to do, when the door opened again. Fatty Lu entered carrying blankets, spare clothes, and a hairdryer. He grinned, telling us that conditions were poor, so we would have to make do for the night.

I couldn't help but ask, "Deputy Captain Lu, aren't you afraid we might be criminals?"

With only the three of us and Lu in the room, my question caused him to recoil several steps, his face changing color. His fear didn't seem staged. Seeing the other night-shift officers standing by the door, he let out a long breath and replied righteously, "So what if you are? Aren't criminals people too? Get some rest. Besides, you don't look like bad people to me."

I smiled. "Are there any bad people who have the word 'bad' written on their faces?"

He shook his head, looking smug, claiming he was an excellent judge of character who never made mistakes. Yet, every time I took a small step forward, he would jump back. Finally, he left us to rest in awkward silence.

Once the door closed, Wang Yazhuo stroked the young ghost's head, whispering with a smile that his bite had been well-timed. Wang Yazhuo had never been taken to a police station before, and it was clear she was displeased by the treatment. She remarked that the police in Yu City were far too arrogant.

She also mentioned Fatty Lu, calling him a coward who surely traded on a false reputation, wondering how he had ever become a policeman in the first place.

I also suspected that Lu was not as capable as the rumors suggested. I decided to test him when the opportunity arose. If we could utilize a police officer in Yu City just as we had used Chen Fan, our operations would be much smoother—especially since he was a deputy captain of a major branch.

As I lost myself in thought, Wang Yazhuo asked me to turn around so she could change. I checked the room to ensure there were no surveillance cameras before letting her change in peace.

There was only one bed, so I gave it to Wang Yazhuo and the young ghost.

The fearless young ghost fell asleep early, but in the middle of the night, Wang Yazhuo suddenly asked, "Fang Han, are we going to be stuck here?"

I shrugged. "You didn't do anything wrong, so what are you afraid of?"

She remained unconvinced. "What about your gun? The police took it. What will you do once they find out it’s yours?"

I didn't answer. I don't know how much time passed before I heard the steady rhythm of her breathing.

I didn't sleep at all that night. I was still thinking about Xuan Yi’s purpose.