Dark Light Chaser.

Chapter 9 Request
Ai Liang first looked at Gao Fuye, then turned to look at Xia Qinian.

Xia Qinian shrugged, gave a no-questions-asked gesture, and went downstairs first.

Ai Liang returned to the living room and sat down. Gao Fuye did not close the door, but left it slightly ajar.

"I heard from Jiajia's friend that Jiajia went to confess to you last night, right?" Gao Fuye sat next to Ai Liang, staring blankly at the photos he had brought out of Gao Jiajia's room.

"Yes."

Ai Liang didn't try to hide anything on this point and answered directly.

"Did you agree?" Gao Fuye continued to ask, his grief masking his true thoughts.

"No."

Ai Liang answered truthfully.

“You know what? If anyone had gotten close to Jiajia under normal circumstances, I would have broken their legs.” Gao Fuye forced a smile as he looked at the photo.

Ai Liang didn't speak, but looked at him calmly.

“Her mother passed away early, and Jiajia was only five and a half years old at the time. I promised her mother that I would take good care of her. She has been sensible since she was a child and has never caused me any trouble.”

"After working hard for a while, I used the money I had saved to seize the opportunity to get into real estate, made a lot of money, and through this money I kept making more and more, and now I have become a small business owner."

"Basically, I will do everything I can to get Jiajia whatever she wants."

“She said she didn’t like the smell of smoke, so I quit smoking; she said she didn’t like the smell of alcohol, so I bought another house elsewhere and would go there after every social event, waiting for the smell of alcohol to dissipate before going home; she said she didn’t want a stepmother, so I never remarried; not long ago she said she wanted to go to the Experimental Middle School, so I’ve been busy treating the principal and teachers to meals every day for the past few days, and I even invested in a teaching building for the Experimental Middle School because she is my only daughter.”

After Gao Fuye finished speaking, he gave Ai Liang a bitter smile, then suddenly stood up and bowed deeply, startling Ai Liang.

"I didn't give Jiajia a happy childhood in the first half of my life, and I haven't been able to fulfill many of her wishes in the second half. I can't let her leave with regrets in the end." Gao Fuye said, his voice trembling with sobs, refusing to straighten up. "Please, no matter how much money you want, no matter what conditions you set, please just say 'Jiajia, I love you too!' Please!"

Ai Liang looked at Gao Fuye. At this moment, he was no longer the arrogant and powerful real estate tycoon, but a humble father who wanted to fulfill his daughter's last wish.

Xia Qinian leaned against the car, watching Ai Liang come downstairs: "Why did Gao Fuye call you over?"

"I didn't do anything." Ai Liang's expression remained unchanged as she opened the car door and sat down in the passenger seat.

"Never mind if you don't want to talk about it. Here, it's yours."

Xia Qinian rolled his eyes at Ai Liang and handed her a wad of cash: "I got this thanks to you, after all. I'm a person who values ​​fairness the most."

Ai Liang didn't even glance at him.

Xia Qinian could tell that Ai Liang was not short of money, so he didn't want to make a fool of himself.

He pulled out a few bills from the stack of cash and stuffed them into Ai Liang's pocket: "This is the five hundred yuan balance we agreed on beforehand. You can throw it away as waste paper or use it to wipe your butt after you get off the bus, it's up to you, but you have to take it now."

Seeing that Ai Liang did not stop him, he continued to pat his pants: "Sigh, this Boss Gao doesn't know that the ashtray is full of cigarette butts."

Giving it to the former Gao Fuye, or to the current boss Gao, is very much in line with his temperament.

"Because he never smokes in front of his daughter for fear of choking her."

Ai Liang leaned her arm against the car window, propping her face up as she looked into the distance.

"Well, you'd think a real estate developer living in a villa would be more in line with his status, or at least a 200-square-meter apartment. Why does he have to stay in this neighborhood? I just don't understand the mindset of rich people."

Xia Qinian seemed to be deliberately downplaying his recent experience, constantly changing the subject.

"Because the house is small, I can be closer to my daughter."

Ai Liang answered him in a flat tone, but still didn't turn around to look at him.

Xia Qinian, who had been all smiles, began to stiffen as he felt the 10,000 yuan in his arms getting hotter and hotter.

"What a fucked-up life!"

Xia Qinian finally stopped pretending, and a look of pity appeared on his face. "I've made money for most of my life and finally started to live a good life. Now my only daughter is gone. Is God playing a cruel joke on me?"

This wasn't the first time Xia Qinian, a relative of the victim, had met with the victim's family. It was precisely because he understood the feelings of the victim's family that he tried his best to avoid meeting with them so soon after the incident.

But this is also one of the signs of his immaturity.

Whenever Gao Fuye was mentioned, Ai Liang would always say things that made him uncomfortable, so he simply stopped mentioning it and directly directed his anger at Ai Liang: "I mean, is your heart made of iron? You had a cold face the whole time, and your expression didn't change at all. Or are all geniuses like this?"

"so what?"

Ai Liang turned to look at Xia Qinian, her face still bearing that indifferent expression. "Then why did you come to see Gao Fuye?"

"Of course, we'll find clues to the real culprit and bring him to justice! And we'll take the million-dollar reward."

Xia Qinian clenched his fist and spoke emphatically.

"Wasn't it to infiltrate the criminal investigation team to find something?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Qinian's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained largely unchanged.

"Looking for something? What could you possibly be looking for? What good stuff could the criminal investigation team have? Guns? Those are official positions that you can't touch. If you want a gun, just go to the black market, it's much easier."

Xia Qinian used his signature nonsensical tone to try to confuse Ai Liang's purpose.

"If you went to the criminal investigation team at noon today to find me, you could have just waited at the entrance. There was no need to ask someone to take you inside."

Do you remember your excuse? There were clues about the murderer. That reason was so lame, it was obviously just a random excuse to get in.

Judging from the detective captain's attitude, this is clearly not your first time sneaking in. Would simply coming in make him so angry? You must have done something wrong.

Ai Liang began to analyze the details of their first meeting, which reminded Xia Qinian of Ai Liang's analysis of the murderer in the car. Now it was his turn.

Xia Qinian maintained his jovial expression and said with a forced smile, "He just has a bad temper; it's not normal for him to get angry."

“It’s normal to get angry, but you’re obviously very familiar with the people in the criminal investigation team. Some people are even willing to bring you, an outsider, in. That level of familiarity is quite unusual.”

You previously mentioned that you have a relative who is a criminal police officer. Judging from the attitude of those officers towards you, your relative must hold a high position in their hearts.

If that's the case, why would the head of the criminal investigation team fly into a rage just because you walk in the door?
Even if the relationship is terrible, it shouldn't escalate to this point, especially since this is a criminal investigation team where many people have risked their lives for each other.

Xia Qinian stopped talking. He felt that Ai Liang's calm eyes had completely seen through his purpose and were now using words as a sharp sword to tear away his disguise layer by layer, making him somewhat afraid to meet her gaze.

"The most important things in the criminal investigation team are nothing more than a few things—physical evidence that is about to be transferred, firearms stored in the armory, and the case files you want."

In just a few hours, Ai Liang figured out his hidden purpose.

Damn it, this kid is like a ghost. Is it that I can't hide my feelings, or is his observation ability really that amazing?

Xia Qinian's face was full of surprise.

"Could you tell me how you deduced that? Just consider it an introduction for someone like me who's been eliminated three times. I really can't figure out where you gave yourself away."

With his purpose exposed, Xia Qinian simply stopped pretending and asked directly.

"Guess."

Ai Liang casually agreed.

"Guess?! Can you read minds? How could you guess so accurately?"

Xia Qinian's eyes widened. He never expected that Ai Liang had actually guessed.

If a normal person sees a bounty hunter running towards the police station, would they assume he's going to peek at case files?

Now that you've revealed my purpose, you're telling me it was just a guess? What kind of thought process is that? Most people are probably just guessing that I wanted to use the police intelligence network!

The word "mind reading" startled Ai Liang, but he quickly realized that it was just Xia Qinian exaggerating.

"At first, I wasn't sure if you had any ulterior motives, so I just casually tricked you."

Your decision to steer the conversation towards guns confirmed to me that you went to the criminal investigation team with a specific purpose in mind.

Physical evidence and firearms are completely unavailable without approval from higher authorities and the branch captain's permission; only case files can be viewed through the office.

"Are you crazy?! Why would you want to lure me to the criminal investigation team? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you in a moment of panic?"

Xia Qinian's mentality collapsed. He never expected that the criminal police would use the same interrogation methods on him. What's even more shameful is that he actually fell for the trap, making him feel so embarrassed that he could dig a three-bedroom apartment out of his toes.

This is also related to Ai Liang's extremely deceptive youthful appearance. Xia Qinian never expected that a mere child would set a trap for him.

"You seem like a decent person, but I advise you not to do anything foolish."

"What do you know, you little brat? Kids shouldn't meddle in adult matters."

Xia Qinian lit a cigarette in frustration, but Ai Liang pulled it off and threw it away as soon as he lit it.

"Do not smoke in front of minors."

"I had this feeling from the first time we met. Why are you acting like an old woman? Whether it's lunch or asking me to take you to school, you always speak to me like an elder. I'm over thirty!"
"You brat, show some respect! I'm not your servant."

Xia Qinian took out another cigarette and put it in his mouth. This time, Ai Liang did not stop him.

"Take me to Jinyang Road."

Ai Liang said.

"So don't treat me like a servant. When you need something, remember to use the word 'please'!"

Xia Qinian impatiently started the car and left the residential area.

Ever since leaving the criminal investigation team, Ai Liang has been running around everywhere, and an afternoon has passed just like that.

As soon as the car reached Jinyang Avenue, Ai Liang asked to get out.

"Here's the fare."

Leaving behind this nonsensical remark, Ai Liang jogged away and quickly disappeared from Xia Qinian's sight.

Xia Qinian was still wondering where the fare came from when he lifted the seat cushion and found the thousand yuan he had given to Ai Liang underneath.

"You arrogant brat, you look down on this money, don't you?"

Xia Qinian snorted coldly and put the thousand yuan away. "You'll know how precious money is when you enter society."

(End of this chapter)