Dark Light Chaser.

Chapter 34 Opinion
What are your thoughts on the throat-slitting maniac?

This was the first time Yang Xingguo had directly asked Shi Feng about his views on hermits; he had never brought up this topic before.

“Abuse of vigilante justice, knowingly breaking the law, is a heinous crime.”

Shi Feng used three idioms in a row.

"What if we set aside his identity as the head of the criminal investigation team and look at it purely from Shi Feng's perspective?"

Shi Feng fell silent. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "I believe there is still hope for him."

"There's hope?" Yang Xingguo scoffed as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "You're telling me that someone who wiped out the underworld in Nevada City can be saved?"

“At least that’s what I think,” Shi Feng said with a resolute expression. “Although the methods he used were too radical, I believe he is not a bad person at heart, because he has never harmed any innocent people.”

Shi Feng recalled the time when Xia Qiyuan was still alive.

During one operation, Xia Qiyuan assigned him to work under Ai Liang. The two went together to gather intelligence and monitor Ai Liang, who was still a hermit at the time. During that operation, Ai Liang secretly gave money to homeless children more than once, a scene that Shi Feng remembered vividly.

"Perhaps, as you said, he is not a bad person at heart, and he has not had any negative impact on society. Nevada has become one of the cities with the lowest crime rates because of him."

Yang Xingguo seemed to have anticipated Shi Feng's response.

"However, reducing the crime rate is something the police have failed to do for so many years, but an executioner has accomplished it in just a few years. How do you expect the public to view the police? If everyone were to do the same thing under the guise of punishing evil and promoting good, what would Nevada become?"

"Laws and rules are the guarantee of social stability, and I don't need to emphasize that to you."

Shi Feng understood, of course, what kind of impact these actions of the hermit would have if they were exposed. There would probably be countless people who would use the banner of justice to commit unforgivable evils. The hermit could guarantee that every person he killed deserved to die, but ordinary people did not have the ability to investigate thoroughly.

Once misled, the entire city of Nevada will be plunged into utter chaos.

"Moreover, you might have some misunderstanding about that person. In your heart, the throat-slitting demon is a vigilante with a sense of justice, and the police can cooperate with him as long as innocent people are not harmed." Yang Xingguo sneered and said, "The same idea as that guy Xia Qiyuan."

Shi Feng didn't explain, because this matter involved their respective beliefs, and neither of them could convince the other.

"In my opinion, the throat-slitting maniac is pure evil. He did these things simply to satisfy his bloodlust, and he only chose to fight like dogs in the underworld because he was worried about causing a major social impact!"

Hearing Yang Xingguo's remarks, Shi Feng instinctively frowned. Although he did not agree with Yang's statement, he could not deny the possibility of it.

“Even if he initially came to uphold justice because he couldn’t stand evil, who can guarantee that his beliefs haven’t changed during this series of actions?” Yang Xingguo’s next words were like hammer blows, “You should have seen the files on the throat-slitting demon. When he killed someone for the first time ten years ago, he was clearly not very skilled and he subjected his victims to inhumane torture.”

"To be honest, if he continues to treat those people with torture and murder, I won't be worried. That represents his hatred for the black market and his sympathy for the innocent people persecuted by the black market."

"That's how it was for the first year, but what happened later? Those steps were gradually omitted, and after a year it became a clean and decisive slit in the throat. What does this transformation represent? You should have seen the psychological profile of him by now!"

Shi Feng lowered his eyes silently.

Yang Xingguo's voice came with a chilling, ghostly tone: "He's become numb, numb to life! He's become a ruthless killer, only retaining a sliver of reason to refrain from harming ordinary people! For five whole years, how many people has he executed? You know very well the impact of allowing a dangerous individual who disregards life to live in society. No one can guarantee that someone who treats human life like dirt will always restrain himself!"

"If the throat-slitting perpetrator is not brought to justice, who will have the face to face the victims' families when innocent victims emerge?"

Yang Xingguo's words were deafening, leaving Shi Feng with no room for rebuttal.

Shi Feng was naturally aware of this matter, and he never intended to protect the hermit. He only felt sorry for him, that he had ruined the rest of his life for a group of criminals who deserved to die.

The atmosphere became somewhat heavy at this point, and after exchanging details of the arrest operation, the two hung up the phone.

Yang Xingguo was in the study where he was assigned an apartment, staring at a group photo on the table. In the photo, two men in police uniforms were arm in arm, smiling brightly at the camera. One of them was Yang Xingguo.

He covered the group photo on the table, then turned off the light and left the study.

After hanging up the phone, Shi Feng let out a long sigh.

He knew very well that Yang Xingguo's reprimand stemmed from his concern that he might lose his faith due to his sympathy for the hermit, and thus begin to doubt his own profession.

The world is not black and white; there is gray between black and white, just as there is the human world between heaven and hell.

Many things are correct from the perspective of human emotions, but wrong from the perspective of cold, hard order. However, human emotions cannot guarantee the interests of the majority, while ruthless laws and order can.

Shi Feng was, after all, brought ashore by Xia Qiyuan. Unlike Yang Xingguo, who was a graduate of the National Defense University with impeccable revolutionary credentials, he retained some of the habits of the underworld to some extent.

He couldn't have the same firm beliefs as Yang Xingguo, nor could he be as worldly and shrewd as Xia Qiyuan. All he could do was rely on his keen observation skills to solve cases and arrest people.

After adjusting his mindset, Shi Feng went to the interrogation room and sat down opposite Xia Qinian.

Logically, this kind of thing should be avoided, but if it really needed to be avoided, there were very few people in the entire criminal investigation team who could interrogate Xia Qinian. This time, arresting him was just something Shi Feng did on a whim, and the procedure didn't need to be so strict.

Xia Qinian had often come here as a criminal consultant before, but being handcuffed to a table was a first for her.

However, because his uncle was a workaholic, he felt at home in the criminal investigation team, without any tension, and even wanted to order takeout.

"Damn it, take off these handcuffs right now! What do I care if you arrest the Hermit? I haven't done anything wrong!" Xia Qinian said irritably as he saw Shi Feng walk in.

“Detaining you for a few hours for privately contacting dangerous individuals is not excessive.” Shi Feng kept half a body length away from the table to prevent Xia Qinian from doing anything under the table, such as stepping on his toes.

This guy is really capable of doing something like this.
"What nonsense about private contact! He'd only been sitting down for five minutes and you'd already blocked the mall with dozens of people. You call that private? Do you expect dozens of people to watch you when you take a dump?!" Xia Qinian cursed.

Even if he were stupid, he could see that this meeting was clearly a trap set for the Hermit. Thinking deeper, perhaps the rumors circulating in the underworld about the Hermit going to make a move against Yue Chongshan were deliberately spread by them to lure the Hermit into a trap.

Shi Feng remained silent. This meeting was indeed under their control, so there was nothing to ask.

Shi Feng should have removed Xia Qinian's handcuffs when he arrived, but seeing Xia Qinian's explosive temper, Shi Feng decided to call Gao Bin over for help later. If he faced him alone, a fierce battle was inevitable.

Xia Qinian suddenly asked, "Is it true that Xia Qiyuan was taken away by people wearing special forces uniforms?"

"Really." Shi Feng's expression remained unchanged.

"Is he dead or alive?" Xia Qinian asked with a very serious expression.

“He’s still alive.” Shi Feng’s eyes began to look tired. “All I know is that he’s still alive. Director Yang made me write that file. On the surface, Xia Qiyuan is already a dead man.”

"Where is he now?" Xia Qinian asked hurriedly.

"How would I know? Even Director Yang can't see my master's information now. How could I, a branch captain, have that kind of authority? I only found out that my master is still alive from Director Yang." Shi Feng was worried that if Xia Qinian continued to investigate so recklessly, something bad would happen sooner or later, so he decided to speak frankly.

"Master is most likely on some secret mission. If you have any questions, ask them now. I won't recognize you once you leave this room." Shi Feng looked at Xia Qinian solemnly.

Where is my uncle now?

"do not know."

"What mission is he carrying out, and how long will it take?"

"do not know."

"connect."

"do not know."

"I haven't finished speaking yet!"

"Use your pig brain! I told you it was a secret mission, how would I know!" Shi Feng slammed his fist on the table in anger.

"Then what do you know? Hurry up and tell me." Xia Qinian also felt that those questions were nonsense, so he simply let Shi Feng tell him everything he knew.

Even though it was Xia Qinian who was wearing handcuffs, his impatient tone made it sound like he was the interrogator.

"Xia Qiyuan is still alive." Shi Feng succinctly stated what he knew.

"And then?" Xia Qinian asked.

"That's all, that's all I know." Shi Feng simply spread his hands, indicating that he had told him everything he knew.

"Damn it, what's the difference between saying that and not saying anything at all!"

"At least it lets you know he's still alive."

After cursing for a while, Xia Qinian suddenly leaned back in his chair, not wanting Shi Feng to see his teary eyes.

After nearly ten years of anxiety, Xia Qinian finally felt at peace.

"What Xu Zhihai said is ridiculous. What Apostle Society? I've never even heard of it. Can't you guys write some more professional lines?" Xia Qinian awkwardly changed the subject to cover up his emotions.

"What Apostles Society?" Shi Feng asked, frowning. "I led people to surround the mall on Director Yang's instructions."

"No, isn't Xu Zhihai the bait you hired?" Xia Qinian countered.

“He contacted Director Yang on his own initiative. I don’t know where he got his contact information.” Shi Feng’s brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

Despite being embroiled in two murder cases, Xu Zhihai still had the mind to stir up trouble everywhere, which was completely different from the personality he was described to by his classmates who investigated him.

Shi Feng learned from Xu Zhihai's former high school and college classmates, as well as neighbors, that although he was smart, he was honest and simple-minded from a young age because of his family's circumstances and never caused trouble. This was completely different from the Xu Zhihai that Shi Feng had met.

Unless he is constantly pretending, or the death of a loved one has drastically changed his personality, this is also possible.

"Where is Xu Zhihai? Why am I the only one who got arrested?! You're even targeting people you know well when you arrest them!" Xia Qinian pounded the table indignantly.

Just as Shi Feng, whose train of thought had been interrupted, was about to speak, the door to the interrogation room was pushed open.

"Team Leader Shi, I've finished reviewing the video." Gao Bin's sudden announcement silenced the two people in the room, preventing them from discussing anything further.

"So fast?"

Shi Feng was somewhat surprised. Logically speaking, given Gao Bin's personality, he should have dawdled for several tens of minutes.

"Well, we just need to check the video footage of the time before and after the Hermit appeared at the fast food restaurant. Besides, I found out that someone may have had close contact with the Hermit."

Gao Bin gestured to Shi Feng to go with him to the technical department to check the clues he had discovered, and then slammed the interrogation room door shut.

Shi Feng followed Gao Bin back to the technical department and watched him pull up the so-called key clues.

"The hermit tried his best to avoid being monitored in the mall, but some places were unavoidable, such as the elevator."

Gao Bin zoomed in on the surveillance footage near the escalator. "To get to the fifth floor, there's no other way but the escalator and the emergency escape staircase. The Hermit first appeared on the third floor, and based on his movements, he came from the direction of the third-floor restroom."

"And during that time, someone happened to enter the bathroom—it was him." Gao Bin increased the screen resolution, and Ai Liang's face appeared on the computer screen.

"Why again?"

"I also want to ask why it's him again. It seems like all the recent cases are related to him." Gao Bin was even more speechless than Shi Feng. In his eyes, Ai Liang was a jinx, the kind of person you absolutely shouldn't get involved with. If you keep getting entangled with him, you'll eventually get a supporting role card and then inexplicably die.

"And their clothing and appearance..." Gao Bin hesitated before continuing.

"The Hermit was already over twenty ten years ago. Do you think he could do that?" Shi Feng rolled his eyes at him. "Given the Hermit's personality, he must have researched what people wear when shopping in malls before he came. He would definitely choose the most common kind."

"I was just saying it offhand." Gao Bin shrugged helplessly. "By the way, Captain Shi, can I go home now? I need to go home and feed my cat."

"Wait a minute, you're in charge of Xu Zhihai, right? Where is he?" Shi Feng turned his head and asked.

"He? I released him after a brief questioning," Gao Bin said casually, his eyelids drooping.

"Okay, that's all. You can go home now."

Shi Feng waved his hand, indicating that he could leave.

Gao Bin, with a zombie-like gait, staggered to the parking lot and got into the driver's seat.

"Haa, hoo hoo." Gao Bin closed the car door, took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, then picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"We've already fooled Shi Feng. I didn't catch Xu Zhihai, but now we can basically confirm that he is an apostle. We don't know about his abilities yet, but based on his behavior, it should be related to mental suggestion."

"Yes, the mask of the Thousand Faces is also in Nevada City. He is very likely plotting something in secret. We'd better be careful with the lab. Apart from the lab, there's nothing in Nevada City that he should care about."

"Understood, I will investigate the purpose of those masks."

Gao Bin put down his phone, leaned back in his seat, and rolled his eyes: "Am I really that unlucky to run into something like this during my vacation?"

(End of this chapter)