Chapter 42: Luring the Snake from Its Lair

“That’s right. The evidence is ironclad. She was caught deliberately adding toxins; no one can claim there’s a loophole in the proof. If she thinks she can wriggle out of the law, that’s nothing but a dream. Sooner or later, I’ll see her true colors revealed!”
Miao Ruolan asked, “And then? In her situation, how many years would she get?”
“Sentencing? That’s a whole new issue. Even if we can prove she poisoned someone, it’s actually hard to pin down a specific charge. The three closest crimes are poisoning, endangering public safety, and intentional injury, but if you look closely, none really fit…”
Poisoning, by legal definition, is adding poison to public water sources, food, or drinking pools, but she applied the toxin to her own ‘private place.’ There’s water there, sure, but heaven knows it’s not a public drinking pool.
Public safety? Even less relevant. Her ‘place’ can never be considered ‘public.’
Intentional injury is more complicated. It requires a clear target. She poisoned her own ‘place’ and got intimate with Wang Changfa. If he were the intended victim, it might count, but the toxin is peculiar—it doesn’t harm him directly. Instead, it uses him as a vector to hurt other women.
The bottom line: as times progress, criminal methods evolve. Old laws can’t keep pace with new crimes. Clearly, the law must adapt…
The two women continued to analyze and reflect…
Lin Xiaosu sat nearby, smiling as he watched. He liked seeing Miao Ruolan grow; their little shop, for now, could survive on his own strength, but he couldn’t stay here forever. Miao Ruolan would eventually venture out as well.
From what he saw, she was improving rapidly.
“Hey, Detective Lin, why don’t you say something? I think we’re stuck in a dead-end,” Zhou Mei said.
Lin Xiaosu laughed, “You know it’s a dead-end, yet you keep hammering away—how silly. In real life, when you hit a dead-end, the smart move is to change direction!”
“Change direction? How?”
Lin Xiaosu replied, “I’m considering two questions. First: since P39 targets women, why wasn’t that woman herself harmed?”
A strange look flashed in Zhou Mei’s eyes. “I never told you her medical results—how did you know she wasn’t harmed? You observed all the way to the edges through the glass—your eyesight is extraordinary!”
Ahem…
Lin Xiaosu’s throat tickled…
Look at you, talking about edges and thorough observation…
Zhou Mei chuckled softly and explained, “There’s an inhibiting agent in her blood. It could be genetic antibodies, or she took an antidote beforehand. We lean toward the latter, but she refuses to admit it.”
Lin Xiaosu said, “The human body is mysterious. Genetic antibodies exist, but I don’t believe such a rare occurrence would suddenly happen to her. So, she probably took an antidote beforehand, which brings us to a new question… You said this toxin was just added to the police database and an antidote shouldn’t exist on the market. Where did she get hers?”
Zhou Mei was suddenly startled…
Lin Xiaosu continued, “Second question: does P39 really not harm men?”
Zhou Mei replied, “From current analysis, P39 only interacts with female chromosomes. You… what are you thinking?”
Lin Xiaosu said, “The records say Wang Changfa is forty-nine. A man of that age, if he leads a clean life, would have regular sex about once a week. But Wang Changfa isn’t that type—he has many mistresses and theoretically should be exhausted. Yet he’s vigorous: around ten o’clock the other night, he was with that woman, then went home and had another go with Zhuang Mengdie. Yesterday, after work, he rushed to the villa and did it again—in the shower, before even finishing his bath. Why?”
Miao Ruolan blushed and her heart raced at the topic, nearly rushing upstairs.
But she held back, knowing Lin Xiaosu’s discussion wasn’t flirtatious, but a serious analysis of the case.
Zhou Mei said, “You mean the toxin affects men too, making them unusually aroused?”
Lin Xiaosu nodded, “Back to your original premise: P39 is a drug! Even as a new drug, it’s still a drug! Don’t you think this abnormal arousal is exactly a common effect of drugs?”
Zhou Mei’s heart pounded, “Maybe our original assumptions were wrong! Maybe this woman’s real target is Wang Changfa! She’s cultivating his dependence on this new drug.”
Drugs require a period of cultivation.
Who’s suited for cultivation?
The wealthy!

Wang Changfa is worth hundreds of millions. If he becomes addicted, he can’t live without the source. Whoever controls it can claim his fortune.
Regular drugs—someone like Wang Changfa could find another supplier. But a new drug, only available from them, could command any price. Wang Changfa would have no choice but to comply.
She seemed to have touched the core of this case.
It was Lin Xiaosu who led her there, peeling back layers with methodical precision…
“Let’s not jump to conclusions. I have a gut feeling this case isn’t as simple as we thought!” Lin Xiaosu said, “Let’s let things play out for a while…”
He fell silent.
His gaze turned to the street outside.
The sun had set, city lights flickered on.
Under the streetlights, a red limited-edition car sped by.
Zhuang Mengdie’s car.
She stepped out, entered the detective agency, and smiled elegantly, “Detective Lin, our case is resolved. I came to settle the final payment!”
“All right, Ruolan, settle up with Sister Zhuang! Zhou Mei and I will go for a walk…” Lin Xiaosu left the shop. Zhou Mei’s eyes flashed with complex emotions, but she followed.
Ahead lay the pedestrian street, one side bordered by the riverbank. The streetlights glowed softly, the sky moonless but dotted with stars, glittering on the river’s surface. Clouds gathered, hinting at impending rain.
“While you’re out walking, haven’t you felt a resentful gaze stabbing at your back?” Zhou Mei’s voice came from behind.
“Resentful gaze? What’s your grievance?” Lin Xiaosu turned.
“Don’t play dumb! I’m telling you, Miao Ruolan is a martial arts heir—her punches hurt…” Zhou Mei hurried ahead, “Hey, how much did you earn from this commission?”
“A bit of hard-earned money!”
“Hard-earned, my foot! You climbed a tree to watch a woman bathe. One stint could net you tens of thousands. What about those poor folks paying to watch strip shows?”
Tens of thousands?
Would you dare multiply that by ten?
Lin Xiaosu wisely kept quiet about the true fee.
“Actually, I didn’t just earn money—you did too!” Zhou Mei said.
“Huh? What did you gain?”
“The first case of a new drug in the country—the boss gave me two options: either a reward of ten thousand, or a chance to earn a police star for my shoulder. One is real money, the other fulfills my dream. If it were you, which would you choose?”
“Only children make those choices! Adults… take both!” Lin Xiaosu declared boldly.
Zhou Mei shot him a look and burst out laughing, doubled over.
Lin Xiaosu smiled at her, “Actually, you can have both!”
“What do you mean?”
“For example, take the ten thousand now, treat us to a feast and splurge wildly. Next time, rack up greater achievements and claim your police star!”
Zhou Mei automatically ignored the first half of his obviously self-serving suggestion…
“Next time, bigger achievements… like what?”
“For instance, capturing the drug syndicate that’s been entrenched in Feng City for years, spanning three provinces, in one fell swoop!”

Zhou Mei stepped firmly,
Her foot landed in a small hole in the sidewalk.
Behind Lin Xiaosu was a kapok tree, his whole body hidden in its shadow, only his eyes shining with intelligence.
“What’s your plan?” Zhou Mei asked softly.
“Lure the snake from its hole!”
“When? How?”
“Tonight! That’s how we’ll do it!” Lin Xiaosu said.
Light flashed in Zhou Mei’s eyes, “You’ll use yourself as bait?”
“That’s the real reason I didn’t bring Ruolan tonight!”
If Miao Ruolan were with him, those people wouldn’t dare act. All throughout the case, he and Miao Ruolan were inseparable, never giving them a chance.
But tonight, he was creating that opportunity!
Zhou Mei’s expression was hard to read, “You think, in their eyes, I—a real police officer—am less intimidating than a martial arts heir?”
If Miao Ruolan was with him, they wouldn’t move.
With her, they would.
Who are you looking down on?
Lin Xiaosu laughed, “Of course you’re not enough! At the next intersection, we’ll split up. You head back and get ready.”
“Are you sure they’re watching, ready to act?”
“I am.”
“One last question…” Zhou Mei said, “If the enemy attacks suddenly, will you be able to react in time? Are you sure you won’t mess it up?”
Lin Xiaosu scratched his head and voiced a soul-deep question, “…If I mess it up, would I be considered a martyr? Would the state compensate my family?”
“No! Not a cent!” Zhou Mei said sternly, not amused by the joke.
“No compensation at all—then I’ll just have to avoid messing up.”
At the intersection ahead, Zhou Mei crossed the street, returned to the detective agency, and drove away.
Lin Xiaosu, meanwhile, wandered idly along the riverbank.
The sky was full of drifting clouds, starlight gradually obscured.
The river’s waves seemed to quicken.
Pedestrians hurried, glancing up at the sky.
A few parents pushed their strollers faster.
Lin Xiaosu, without realizing, entered an alley—a shortcut. He seemed to sense the coming rain and wanted to take a shortcut back to the agency.