Dark Light Chaser.

Chapter 52 Negotiation
"We just want to solve the case as soon as possible, we're all from the same detachment, so please do us a favor," Liu Yuan said shamelessly.

"Do me a favor? No problem, the files are right here, you can look at them as you please." Yang Xingguo sneered as he took a file folder from the filing cabinet and slammed it on the table.

Intimidated by Yang Xingguo's intimidating aura, Liu Yuan didn't dare to go to the file immediately; Yang's straightforward attitude made him hesitate.

Before coming, the leader had instructed Liu Yuan that the previous two attempts to find Yang Xingguo had been fruitless, and that getting information out of him would be a tough battle.

Let's see first. Does he think he can just smash a cup as a signal to instantly summon dozens of axemen to kill me?

Liu Yuan hesitated for a moment, then reached out and picked up the blue folder and opened it.

At first, Liu Yuan read through the long and tedious sentences word by word, but gradually he turned the pages faster and faster, and later he would just glance at them and skip them.

When she had flipped through about a third of the file, Liu Yuan simply turned it upside down and flipped through it from back to front.

"Brother Yang, is your file incomplete? I feel like something's missing."

Liu Yuan asked with a shameless grin.

"Is the hermit's phone number missing?"

Yang Xingguo's gaze sharpened, but even the sharpest gaze couldn't pierce through thick skin.

"You're joking. I just wanted to see the autopsy report to see if it matched the victim in my case," Liu Yuan said with a smile.

"Then why don't you bring your autopsy report over? I wouldn't mind helping you out."

Yang Xingguo said coldly.

Liu Yuan, seizing the opportunity, shamelessly asked, "How about I have my men send over an electronic report right now, and you can also bring out the victim's autopsy report for comparison?"

Yang Xingguo was very dissatisfied with this evasive attitude.

"I have absolutely no connection with the hermit. If there is, it's a relationship between a policeman and a criminal!"

Yang Xingguo looked at Liu Yuan with the same eyes one would use to judge a criminal: "I know you've been searching for the Hermit's whereabouts. Go back and tell Shi Hongfang that I don't want to personally handcuff him as a cooperating investigator!"

What is Liu Yuan doing here? Is it for the hermit's files?
Of course not. He came to Yang Xingguo to ask if he had any contact information for the hermit.

The leaders of Liu Yuan did not suspect that the Hermit was an assassin trained by Yang Xingguo and wanted to gather evidence to arrest Yang Xingguo; rather, they wanted to cooperate with the Hermit.

When the Hermit first started out, his partner was Xia Qiyuan. The Hermit was responsible for providing intelligence, and Xia Qiyuan was responsible for arresting people. This cooperative model was effective and precise in combating crime.

Liu Yuan's leader, Shi Hongfang, recognized this advantage.

Because of the existence of the Hermit, a god of death, criminals in Neva City have fled one after another, which has caused great trouble for Neva City's good neighbor, Thousand Flower City.

Qianhua City was originally quite safe, but as more and more criminals fled there, conflicts between local and outside forces continued, and the security environment gradually began to change from its previous state, vividly illustrating what it means to be at home when trouble comes knocking from the sky.

It's like a passerby happily watching a woman and her husband arguing on the side of the road, only to suddenly realize that the mistress seems to be his own wife—his mind goes completely blank.

The current situation is that the security situation in Nevada City has completely improved, while the security situation in Thousand Flower City is deteriorating every day.

To continue the analogy, the passerby was even more confused when he discovered that the woman wasn't angry because her husband was cheating on her, but because she was a lesbian and her husband had slept with his girlfriend.

Living with such a strange neighbor is a real headache for Shi Hongfang. He tried everything but couldn't stop the soaring crime rate, so he turned his attention to the hermit.

After the Hermit massacre in Nevada, he came into the public eye. His methods were indeed cruel, but even if those scumbags hid in the bunker and used substitutes to die in their place, he would still find them.

This intelligence capability is astonishing in the information society, and its importance far exceeds his military strength.

Having exhausted all means to reduce the crime rate, Shi Hongfang plans to cooperate with the Hermit.

This collaboration doesn't involve him picking up a knife and slitting people's throats; rather, he's responsible for providing intelligence, and the police are responsible for making arrests.

Shi Hongfang had mentioned this idea to Yang Xingguo several years ago and asked him to provide the hermit's contact information. Over the years, Shi Hongfang has never given up on this idea.

As mentioned earlier, Yang Xingguo would never cooperate with criminals, and he didn't know any way to contact them. The only person who could contact the Hermit, Xia Qiyuan, was now officially dead, so he naturally and righteously rejected Shi Hongfang's request.

The post also included the comment: "If the police need criminals to maintain order, it only demonstrates their incompetence."

This statement can be seen as a warning to Shi Hongfang.

Back then, the three were classmates at the police academy. Xia Qiyuan and Yang Xingguo met through Shi Hongfang's introduction.

Yang Xingguo was upright and incorruptible and would never compromise with criminals, while Xia Qiyuan was worldly and shrewd and knew how to use everything. Both of them had their own personalities. Only Shi Hongfang was mediocre in every way. He did not have Yang Xingguo's firm beliefs, nor did he have Xia Qiyuan's clever mind. Entering the police academy was arranged by his family.

Within the trio, Xia Qiyuan and Yang Xingguo were both rivals and admired each other. Although Shi Hongfang gradually drifted apart from the two, he still maintained contact with them. After graduating from police academy, he entered the police force through family connections and gradually rose to his current position.

It was precisely because of this deep-rooted connection to the family that Yang Xingguo's admonition was so straightforward.

This old friend had been trying to learn from the two of them, but his personality issues led to his imitations being somewhat incongruous.

Yang Xingguo worried that Shi Hongfang would imitate Xia Qiyuan and cooperate with the criminals, which would be like asking a tiger for its skin.

Xia Qiyuan's ability to thrive in the underworld stemmed from his reckless personality and ruthless methods—qualities Shi Hongfang would find difficult to match. While Xia Qiyuan believed he could control that group of vicious criminals, he likely failed to realize he was being used by them.

"We're looking for the hermit because he might have come to Qianhua City. Captain Shi just wants to compare the two cases." Liu Yuan didn't seem bothered by the setback and could even laugh and find excuses to refute it.

Yang Xingguo's expression changed slightly: "If Shi Hongfang wants to ask anything, let him call me himself."

“If there are any issues with the case, then follow the proper procedures and apply for the necessary permissions. If you come to my jurisdiction without saying a word again, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” He deliberately looked up at the wall clock and said, “Is there anything else?”

Liu Yuan understood Yang Xingguo's meaning and tactfully excused herself: "Then I won't disturb your rest any longer. I'll go back tomorrow. Would you mind if I took a picture of this document?"

Yang Xingguo picked up the file and said irritably, "We'll talk about it after the application is approved!"

After Liu Yuan left, Yang Xingguo's expression turned serious. What Liu Yuan had just said had awakened him. The Hermit had mentioned that he would leave Nevada City when the arrest was carried out in the mall.

If the current hermit still adheres to the principle of only killing evil people, the place he is going to is very likely to be Thousand Flower City.

(End of this chapter)