Chapter 15: Into the Tiger's Den Again (Part 1)
Howard Li barely managed to wrench free—or maybe I let him go, since I didn't actually want to drown him.
He collapsed to the ground, retching as if trying to purge every last bitter drop from his stomach.
The onlookers watched coldly. No one had any sympathy for Howard Li. The man who'd thrown the manure couldn't help laughing. "Serves you right! That's what you deserve—you and your father are both scum!"
A creditor demanded, "Where's your father? Where did he go? debts have to be paid!"
"That's right! Tell us where he is!"
Howard Li lay on the ground, panting. "I don't know... I don't understand what you're talking about..."
I frowned. This guy was stubborn as a mule.
I said coldly, "As far as I know, Victor Li is preparing to flee the country by smuggling himself out. If he delays any longer, he'll actually escape."
The creditors panicked. "Then what do we do? We can't just beat him up! We have no way to force a confession!"
I sighed, at a loss. Then the hero with the manure bucket suddenly spoke up: "If he won't talk, keep feeding him shit! Is it even illegal to make someone eat shit? That's what, a few days in detention?"
"You can't just say things like that. Do you even know the law?"
"I don't. We can look it up online."
A mild-mannered man in the crowd stepped forward, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. "I'm a lawyer. I've handled many of Victor Li's cases—though he still owes me my fees, too."
The creditors brightened. "You're a lawyer? Tell us—is it illegal to feed someone shit?"
The lawyer said, "It could constitute the crime of humiliation, up to three years in prison."
The creditors' faces fell. The world seemed unbearably unjust.
The lawyer paused, then added, "But the crime of humiliation is a private prosecution, not a public one. If the victim doesn't file charges, there's no case. As long as the, uh, substance isn't toxic—though if it causes actual harm, then it becomes a public prosecution."
A creditor shot back, "I'm not scared! This guy's going to prison anyway! Howard Li, I'm feeding you shit today, and if you dare file a private prosecution, my people will take good care of your people!"
He grabbed the ladle and advanced on Howard Li, snarling, "Have you had enough? If you don't tell us where your father is, I'll keep feeding you! Your family owes my family twenty million. Three years in prison is worth it!"
The lawyer pushed up his glasses. "With good behavior, you wouldn't actually serve three years... And I didn't see a thing. I can't be a witness."
"I didn't see anything either!"
"Who saw anything? Not me!"
The creditor got a second wind and shoved Howard Li's head back into the bucket. But Howard Li steadfastly refused to talk.
Just then, sirens wailed in the distance.
The chaos gradually subsided. Tai Sun's mother was still crying, having accompanied her husband into an ambulance. The old man was nearly comatose. I understood—it was the cruelest blow. The greatest sorrow in this world is for parents to bury their children.
But I couldn't keep this secret.
Police cars pulled up beside us. Detective Sullivan led his team out of the vehicles and surveyed the chaos with a frown. "What's going on here?"
"Officer! Officer, help me..." Howard Li ran toward Sullivan, still retching. "They made me eat feces... they assaulted me... arrest them all!"
"Keep your distance. Don't touch me."
Sullivan stepped back. I shrugged. "I just told everyone the truth. The body in that grave is Tai Sun's, not Victor Li. The father and son were trying to pull 'debts die with the debtor'—I caught them at it."
"Marcus Zhang, get in the car. We'll talk inside."
Sullivan gestured to me. I nodded and headed for the vehicle. Howard Li called out anxiously, "Put handcuffs on him! He attacked me—all these people saw it. I'm pressing charges!"
"Worry about yourself first. Our primary target is you." Sullivan's voice was ice. "Howard Li, you're under arrest for illegal asset transfers. Come with us for questioning."
He pulled out his handcuffs and moved toward Howard Li—but paused, eyeing the man's filth-covered state.
He called back, "Officer Carter!"
"Yes, Captain, I'm here!"
Officer Carter jogged over from the crowd. Sullivan handed him the cuffs. "Cuff Howard Li."
Officer Carter stared at Howard Li and asked weakly, "Captain, is this really all you think I'm good for? I just got out of the hospital!"
"Quit complaining. You're the one who insisted on leaving early."
Officer Carter had no choice but to cuff Howard Li, then fetch a bucket of water to hose him down. Sullivan draped an arm over my shoulder and led me to his car.
Once I was seated, I noticed a gold bar on the dashboard. I looked at it with interest. "Officer Sullivan, I've done a great service, haven't I? I uncovered Victor Li's scheme..."
"We already knew about his scheme." Sullivan said mildly. "Marcus Zhang, do you really think the police are stupider than you? We noticed something was off the moment we saw the body. We had the forensic team take multiple samples."
"Huh?"
"The burn was far too extensive. Based on witness accounts, the time between the fire starting and Victor Li's supposed death wasn't enough to reduce a body to that condition. The forensic team and I had our suspicions from the start. Even without your investigation, we would have identified the body as Tai Sun's."
I sat there, stunned. "So Victor Li's trick..."
"Ordinary people always think they can outsmart the justice system—they've watched too many TV dramas. So remember: don't commit crimes. No matter how clever you think your method is, modern forensic science will tear it apart."
"Then... did I even accomplish anything? And I've been causing you trouble this whole time?"
"No. You accomplished something—something major."
Sullivan offered me a cigarette and even lit it for me. He smiled and said, "If it weren't for you, how would we have gotten Monkey Drake's criminal evidence? Thanks to you, we've linked his case to Victor Li's and taken down his entire operation—including a large network of accomplices. Marcus Zhang, you went from a small-time theft to uncovering a major criminal enterprise, and you retrieved critical evidence. I salute you."
Listening to Sullivan, my nose started to sting for some reason.
I opened my mouth to respond, but my voice cracked. "Thank you..."
He asked, "Are you crying?"
"No one's ever told me I did something good before..." I rubbed my eyes. "Really. I've never accomplished anything in my life. I've just existed pointlessly, dragging other people down."
"You did well. You're a remarkable person. I don't approve of your theft, but I understand why you did it. I'll write an honest report—emphasizing your cooperation, the evidence you recovered, and the fact that you returned the stolen goods promptly."
"When did I return goods promptly?"
He blinked. "Elena told me you gave her the money, and she immediately returned it to Victor Li's family. Isn't that right?"
"Uh..."
"Were you not planning to return it? Were you telling her to hide it?"
"I was! I really did tell Elena to return it. Just—it took me a second to remember."
Sullivan gave me a skeptical look, then said, "Never mind. The money was returned immediately, and you've earned major credit. Plus, you've shown a consistent desire to turn yourself in. I'll write my report in your favor. I'm driving you to the station personally. Given your cooperation, we'll skip the handcuffs. Get some rest—you've earned it."
He picked up the gold bar and pocketed it, then started the engine.
I couldn't help asking, "That gold bar... you're keeping it?"
"What about it?"
"Is that embezzlement..."
Sullivan rolled his eyes. "I bought it myself. I even have the receipt. Look at it closely—this is only fifty grams. It's nothing compared to what you turned in."
He handed me the bar to inspect. He was right—it was a mere 50 grams, a trifle next to the gold I'd handed over.
I muttered, "So cops invest in gold too."