SES Chapter 117 Part 1

Chapter 117

The traffic police pushed through the crowd and walked toward Yi Wansan.

Yi Wansan instinctively wanted to back away. Maybe it was all those years of cat-and-mouse games with law enforcement, but whenever it came to the police, his first instinct was always to avoid them.

He scanned the area: it wasn’t completely blocked off—there were several open gaps. He could dart through one in under two seconds. If someone tried to stop him, he could vault over the hood of a car, land behind it, and run…

Earlier he had been criticizing Mu Dai for losing her nerve and bolting from the station, but now he realized—when it was his turn, he was no different.

As he hesitated, someone bumped his shoulder. Yan Hongsha brushed past him, leaving a quick remark: “Don’t worry. Just go with them—we’ve got mouths of our own.”

She didn’t even look back at him, slipping instead into the chattering crowd.

Yi Wansan started to catch on. He turned to glance at Luo Ren, who only gave him a subtle nod before quickly looking away.

In the distance, the wail of an ambulance siren rose. Facing the grim-faced officers, Yi Wansan gave an awkward laugh, raised his hands in surrender, and said, “Misunderstanding—it’s really just a misunderstanding.”

Around eight that evening, Cao Yanhua hurried breathlessly into a rice-noodle shop across from the Nantian County traffic bureau. Before going in, his chest sank at the sight of a police car still parked outside the bureau’s front entrance.

Inside, the shop was packed. He scanned the crowd for a long time before spotting Luo Ren waving him over.

Cao Yanhua rushed to sit down. “Brother Luo, why is there still a police car?”

“Because it wasn’t just a traffic accident. Officers from both the traffic police and the local precinct came.”

He added, “Hongsha’s inside. As a ‘witness,’ she was asked to assist in the investigation—basically sparring with a few other witnesses.”

Cao Yanhua ground his teeth. “Those little punks are all saying my Brother, Sansan, pushed the guy?”

Luo Ren nodded, lowering his voice slightly. “The truth is, neither Hongsha nor I actually saw the moment it happened. But something felt off, so I had her go in and stir things up. I did notice there’s a surveillance camera at the intersection. The police will definitely pull the footage. If Yi Wansan really did push him…”

If Yi Wansan really did push him, Hongsha would be in an awkward spot.

Cao Yanhua rushed to defend him. “No way it was Brother Sansan. He’s such a delicate sort—he was half-dead for days just over a wild man. How could he deliberately hurt someone?”

The shop owner brought over a steaming bowl of beef noodles for Luo Ren and handed a menu to Cao Yanhua.

Cao Yanhua pointed at Luo Ren. “Same as him.”

Luo Ren picked up his chopsticks, stirred the noodles a little, then suddenly remembered. “Mu Dai’s alone at the hotel?”

That jogged Cao Yanhua’s memory. “No, my little master came with me.”

Luo Ren froze. “Then where is she?”

“Brother Luo, are you slow? My little master’s identity is sensitive—she can’t just show her face.”

He lowered his voice mysteriously and gestured outside. “She’s in the alley.”

Luo Ren understood. He meant the side alley—not deserted, but with far fewer people.

He pushed his bowl of beef noodles toward Cao Yanhua. “I haven’t touched it yet. You eat.”

Then he stood and walked out.

Cao Yanhua stared at the bowl in front of him, a wave of jealousy rising. Sourly, he thought: Brother Luo must’ve gone to keep my little master company, leaving me here all alone with my noodles.

Mu Dai, wearing a mask and a cap pulled low, paced in the alley. Now and then, she looked up at the brightly lit traffic bureau across the street.

The entrance of the alley darkened—someone was coming. Mu Dai quickly crouched down, pretending to tie her shoelace.

Luo Ren crouched beside her and said, “These shoes don’t even have laces. Isn’t faking it a little tiring?”

Relieved, Mu Dai broke into laughter. After a moment, she admitted, “You scared me.”

Her cap was a little crooked. Luo Ren reached out to straighten it, then tugged down her mask. “It’s late. No one’s watching. Wearing that thing is suffocating.”

He asked, “Have you eaten?”

Mu Dai shook her head.

Luo Ren glanced toward the mouth of the alley. “Wait here.”

He left and came back soon with flatbread, bottled water, and a takeout box of fried tofu.

There was a stack of scrap wood by the wall. Luo Ren pulled her over to sit. Above them, a tree from the other side of the wall stretched its thick branches, spreading like an umbrella overhead.

Mu Dai twisted open a bottle of water, took a sip, and again glanced at the traffic bureau.

“Yi Wansan will be okay, right?”

“As long as the surveillance footage works in his favor, he’ll be fine.”

“Cao Fatty said a lot of people at the scene swore he pushed the guy.”

“Three or four, maybe. Do you think Yi Wansan did it?”

Mu Dai thought for a moment, then shook her head. “Yi Wansan has his flaws, sure, but he’s not a killer. And he’s not stupid. If he really wanted to deal with Ma Chao, he’d have plenty of chances. Why choose a busy street, in front of everyone?”

Luo Ren mused, “But there were still people who accused him. Don’t you think that’s odd?”

“Could it have been Ma Chao’s buddies?”

Luo Ren carefully recalled the scene. The crowd had surged in from all sides. The people who accused Yi Wansan varied widely in dress, age, and demeanor. They didn’t look connected.

“This whole thing,” Luo Ren said slowly, “is a lot like your situation.”

That night, whether Mu Dai had appeared on the bridge or not, one person said yes, then two, then three. And so, she was there.

Did Yi Wansan push Ma Chao? One said yes, then two, then three. And so, he was the suspect.

“Three men make a tiger,” Luo Ren murmured.

“What?” Mu Dai asked.