After traveling twenty kilometers, the police car finally entered Shishan County. By then, night had already fallen.

The dark purplish sky hung over the city like a giant lid clamped down on everything below.

In 1994, Shishan County was still a dim place. Aside from the stretch around Jiefang Road, where the lights were bright and lively, the streets near Xuetang Bridge—where the police car was passing—were lined with shabby old residential buildings. Even the streetlamps were half-hidden beneath dense branches, casting weak and murky light.

As the car rolled past a massive billboard advertising **Red Peach Q Blood Tonic Oral Liquid**, Xiao Liang nudged Yuan Wenhai with his elbow and pointed toward an old office building ahead.

“That’s the Red Peach Q company’s office in Shishan,” he said. “Captain Yuan, could you trouble yourself to stop there and ask if someone named Lin Xuetong is around?”

Sui Jing glanced uncertainly at Yuan Wenhai.

From the front passenger seat, Yuan Wenhai’s wife Cheng Xia also turned her head back, puzzled. She had no idea who Lin Xuetong was, or why Xiao Liang insisted on meeting him on the way to the county bureau before being formally detained.

Yuan Wenhai checked his watch and instructed the driver to pull over in front of the building.

“If he’s here, you get fifteen minutes at most,” he said. “If he’s not, we leave immediately. Don’t start any trouble.”

Xiao Liang grinned. Having someone with influence around really did make things easier. With Yuan Wenhai present, the driver who had come to pick them up didn’t even suspect there might be anything improper about the stop.

Sui Jing got out of the car and soon returned with a thin man in his mid-thirties. His face was covered with stubble, and he looked worn and hollow.

Still wearing handcuffs, Xiao Liang stepped out of the car and leaned against the door, studying Lin Xuetong beneath the dim streetlight.

The man’s face was gaunt, his skin sallow. He looked exhausted—almost defeated.

Lin Xuetong studied Xiao Liang in return, clearly trying to guess who he was.

At this point, Lin Xuetong had never met him. In fact, even in Xiao Liang’s previous life, the two had never crossed paths before Lin Xuetong eventually died in prison.

“You’ve probably heard about what’s been happening in Yunshe these past few days,” Xiao Liang said.

He noticed Lin Xuetong’s eyes flicker uneasily, guessing the man had already figured out who he was.

Xiao Liang walked over beneath a plane tree, awkwardly fishing a cigarette from his pocket despite the handcuffs. He handed one to Lin Xuetong and lit it for him.

Sui Jing hesitated for a moment but ultimately stayed by the police car. She didn’t remove Xiao Liang’s handcuffs, but she also didn’t step closer to listen to their conversation.

Taking a drag from his cigarette, Xiao Liang said quietly:

“My name is Xiao Liang. You should know by now that I’ve been framed.”

“I didn’t ask Captain Yuan to stop so you could prove anything for me. I just want to remind you of something.”

“What Xiao Yujun and He Hong have between them doesn’t really matter. They’re adults—they make their own choices. Honestly, you probably don’t even want to be tied to He Hong forever.”

He paused, smoke drifting through the dim air.

“But the reason I was framed this time is because the town assigned me to investigate Xiao Yujun. During that investigation, I discovered he has certain… unsavory habits that most people don’t know about.”

“You’d better keep an eye on your daughter. Xiao Yujun might start having some very wrong ideas about her.”

“Maybe nothing’s happened yet. But it’s always better to take precautions. Once something like that really does happen, the damage to a child can be lifelong.”

Back by the police car, Sui Jing stood beside it while Yuan Wenhai remained inside smoking. Neither could hear what Xiao Liang was saying.

But under the streetlight, they could see Lin Xuetong’s face twitch slightly.

They couldn’t help wondering what exactly Xiao Liang had just told him.

Xiao Liang climbed back into the car. By protocol he sat between Sui Jing and Yuan Wenhai. Turning his head, he looked through the rear window.

Lin Xuetong still stood beneath the dim streetlamp, motionless like a statue.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Xiao Liang’s lips.

“What are you smiling about?” Sui Jing asked sternly.

“I just did another good deed,” Xiao Liang replied with a smile. “Compared to pulling Captain Yuan out of a burning police car the other day, today’s good deed is pretty small. But it’s still a good deed. That makes me feel satisfied.”

Yuan Wenhai rolled his eyes so hard he nearly groaned. Turning his head toward the window, he didn’t even want to look at Xiao Liang.

Sui Jing, however, looked worried.

“Captain Yuan,” she said quietly, “if Lin Xuetong knows certain things, could this cause trouble?”

She was starting to regret letting Xiao Liang lead them around by the nose even at this stage. What if Lin Xuetong got stirred up and did something reckless?

Technically, what they had just done could already be considered a breach of discipline.

“It’s nothing,” Yuan Wenhai said dismissively.

Then he looked curiously at Xiao Liang.

“If you already knew Lin Xuetong might be aware of something between his wife and Xiao Yujun, why didn’t you come to him earlier?”

Xiao Liang simply smiled, offering no answer. He assumed Yuan Wenhai could figure out the reasoning himself.

The world didn’t always operate on logic.

In his previous life, when Lin Xuetong learned that Xiao Yujun had assaulted his daughter, he had taken a knife and rushed to Yunshe, slashing Xiao Yujun.

And what did it accomplish?

Other than getting himself imprisoned—where he eventually died of illness—what did it actually do to Xiao Yujun?

Even when the evidence against Xiao Liang had been insufficient, hadn’t he still spent half a year locked in the detention center?

And afterward, hadn’t Gu Peijun publicly reported Xiao Yujun’s crimes?

There were some situations where reasoning with people simply didn’t work.

But this time things were different.

Since Xiao Liang’s rebirth into 1994, the situation in Yunshe had already begun to shift in subtle but fundamental ways. If Lin Xuetong stepped forward now and delivered another blow at the right moment, the outcome could be completely different.

Even though Xiao Liang didn’t think particularly highly of Wang Xingmin, he had to admit something:

Sometimes the world revolved around people like him.

Determining whether Wang Xingmin’s stance had changed was far more important than seeking out Lin Xuetong. Lin Xuetong had always been nothing more than a backup piece on the chessboard.

And now Xiao Liang had just played that piece.

It was simply insurance—to ensure Xiao Yujun had no chance to struggle free.

He intended to send Xiao Yujun to prison in one decisive move.

Leaning back against the seat, Xiao Liang closed his eyes to rest.

At the same time, he quietly appreciated one small advantage of the cramped interior of the Jetta police car…