Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Chapter 986 Xiao Bao's Secret

Wang Ran's body visibly stiffened, his face instantly turning deathly pale. His hands, resting on his knees, clenched into fists, his knuckles white. He remained silent for the time it takes to smoke half a cigarette before finally, like a deflated balloon, recounting the events in detail: "Child abduction... mostly occurs at markets or kindergarten gates, when no one is watching. They hand children candy laced with medicine, or snatch them when their parents aren't looking and run... The transportation is done in modified horse-drawn carriages, the back seats removed and replaced with iron cages... Contacting buyers is done via coded telegrams, with fixed meeting points in each region..."

As he spoke, his voice grew softer and softer, as if he were reciting a mundane account unrelated to himself, detailing everything down to the smallest detail, even specifying the commission he would receive for each transaction. However, he never uttered a single word about Xiao Bao, as if that name were a hot iron burning his tongue.

After saying that, he leaned back in his chair, as if he had exhausted all his strength, and slowly closed his eyes, looking completely at his mercy: "I've said everything I need to say. Sentencing me or executing me is up to you."

Seeing his expression, Tong Ren didn't press the matter further. He knew Wang Ran was determined to see this through, and pushing him too hard now would only shut him up completely. He picked up his pen and circled a few key pieces of information in the interrogation record, already having made up his mind—it didn't matter if this lead was broken; as long as they followed the transportation route and rendezvous points Wang Ran mentioned, they would eventually catch up with Xiao Bao.

Seeing his expression, Tong Ren knew it wouldn't be easy to pry Xiao Bao's whereabouts out of him. He got up and walked out, instructing the officers around him: "Continue the interrogation. Also, investigate Wang Ran's social connections, especially those who have been in close contact with him in recent years. We're sure to find clues."

The interrogation room lights were blindingly bright. Wang Ran sat there like a soulless statue. He knew that if he took this stunt, his life was over, but as long as he could protect Brother Leopard, he wouldn't have let down the kindness he had received back then.

In the corner of the warehouse, a pile of scrap metal, half a person's height, lay tangled together with rusty steel bars and twisted sheet metal. The smell of rust mixed with years of accumulated dust filled the air, making one's throat tighten. Gu Nan stood in the shadows, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the short knife in his pocket, his gaze fixed on Xiao Bao, who was firmly bound to an iron frame with thick hemp rope not far away. The man's head was tilted to the side, his bangs plastered to his face with sweat, his breathing even, as if he were still asleep.

He walked slowly over, picked up an iron basin filled with cold water—it had been found while cleaning up the scene, and the rim was still stained with oil. With a sudden flick of his wrist, the icy water splashed over Xiao Bao's face with a "splash."

"Ugh!" Xiao Bao shivered violently, his eyes snapping open as if pricked by a needle, still hazy with the effects of a hangover. Water droplets trickled down his cheeks, dripping onto his dirty collar. Only when he saw Gu Nan standing in front of him did he fully come to his senses, his confusion replaced by shock.

Xiao Bao struggled instinctively for a moment, the thick hemp rope on his arm digging painfully into his wrists and flesh. Only then did he belatedly realize that he had become a prisoner.

"Alright, stop pretending." Gu Nan's voice was calm, like a frozen lake, revealing little emotion. "None of your men, from the brick kiln to Wang's clinic, have escaped. They're all in the police station now. Director Xia has already given instructions that this case will be handled severely."

Xiao Bao's face turned pale and then flushed, as if he had been slapped hard several times. He couldn't understand—he had planned for so long, from bribing the factory gatekeeper to set up ambushes at the brick kiln, to even preparing three escape routes, every step meticulously calculated, how could Gu Nan have ruined everything? He stared intently at Gu Nan, his eyes filled with resentment and confusion, his voice hoarse as if it had been sanded: "Gu Nan, how did you do that? You're clearly just a steel mill worker, how could you have such strong skills? And those intelligence reports, the hideout I set up was so well hidden, how did you know in advance?"

Gu Nan looked at him, his eyes turning colder, like a knife chilled to the bone: "Because I have people to protect." He paused, a hint of weariness creeping into his voice, "I just wanted to live a peaceful life, to stay with Qiu Ye and the child and have a quiet life. It was you who kept coming to my door, trying to take advantage of my family, that forced me to take action."

Xiao Bao was stunned for a moment, then gave a bitter laugh, a laugh filled with deep frustration—defeat is defeat, and no amount of excuses will help. He took a deep breath, as if accepting his fate, and his tone softened: "This time, I really did fall. I didn't expect you to be so cunning."

Gu Nan didn't reply, but simply said, "Hei Zi has already taken down Wang Ran's stronghold. All the things you hid in the clinic's basement, as well as the ledgers, have been taken by Uncle Tong's men. None of your people escaped."

"What?" Xiao Bao's pupils contracted sharply, and the veins on the back of his clenched fist throbbed. That hideout was one of his strongholds in the city, where he kept his ledgers of contraband trafficking over the years, and a batch of goods that hadn't been sold yet—just gone... He gritted his teeth so hard that his gums bled, but he forced a calm expression, even managing a cold smile: "Well done, Gu Nan, I really underestimated you. It seems you knew what that place was for all along."

“I only know that there are a lot of shady things hidden there.” Gu Nan took a step forward, closing in on him, his gaze sharp as a knife, almost piercing through his disguise. “I don’t think I have any grudge against you. Why did you go to so much trouble to deal with me, even resorting to guns? Who ordered you to do this? Tell me who hired you, and I can put in a word with Uncle Tong to make sure you suffer less in there.”

Xiao Bao tilted his head back and laughed twice, his laughter carrying a hint of mockery and defiance: "Aren't you pretty smart? Guess for yourself. If you guess right, maybe I can tell you something."

Gu Nan stared into his eyes, remained silent for a few seconds, and then suddenly asked, "Does this have anything to do with Lu Jia?"

His words were like a pebble thrown into calm water. Xiao Bao's eyes flickered visibly—it was a panic of having his secret exposed. Although it was only for a moment, as quick as an illusion, it did not escape Gu Nan's eyes.

Xiao Bao quickly regained his composure and said defiantly, "Say whatever you want, I don't know any Lu Jia. All I know is that my older brother, Lu Yan, was harmed by you! He lost a leg in prison and will never be able to stand up again. I must settle this score with you!"

Gu Nan instantly understood—it was indeed related to Lu Yan. And Xiao Bao's momentary loss of composure when Lu Jia was mentioned was enough to show that Lu Jia was also involved. Perhaps she was using Lu Yan's name to instigate Xiao Bao to deal with him, trying to kill him with a borrowed knife.