Chapter 101: The Capture of Lin Dafa

2022-05-20

Liu Yinyan always said there was only one thing in his life he truly regretted—one mistake that made his heart bleed every time he thought of it. Ten years ago, after the gold shop owner died and no one on earth knew what had really happened, Liu Yinyan set up the Foundation for Uremia Patients, became its president and poured a hundred million into saving people tormented by the disease.

Did he genuinely care for these patients? Or was he just looking for something to quiet his conscience? I couldn’t say. Only Liu Yinyan himself would ever truly know. But seeing that sanctimonious look on his face, I couldn’t help but want to punch him.

He trapped others for his own benefit, using their desperation to save their children and conspired with the gold shop owner to cheat the insurance company out of its payout. He pushed a father to the edge until Ren Tian, crushed by despair, threw himself into the sea. He kept this secret buried for thirty-five years, only now daring to speak.

Isn’t it ironic? Thirty-five years ago, Ren Tian was willing to do anything to save his daughter. Thirty-five years later, Liu Yinyan would do anything to save his own.

Honestly, if Liu Yinyan weren’t already a seventy-year-old man, my fist would’ve landed square on his face by now.

Liu Yinyan leaned against the sofa, staring at me in silence. After a while, he finally spoke. “Don’t look at me like that. This is the only bad thing I’ve done in my life! Do you have any idea how many people in Dongxing City depend on me? How many children with uremia my foundation has helped? If it wasn’t for me, they’d end up just like Ren Tian’s daughter!”

Can you really weigh a life? Is a hundred lives more valuable than one? I won’t deny Liu Yinyan helped many people. His foundation saved lives that might have been lost. But thirty-five years ago, a life was lost because of him.

“Once this is over, you’ll face the consequences you deserve.” My voice was flat as I looked at him.

Liu Yinyan stared at me, confusion flickering across his face, then he stretched his lips into a wide grin. He burst out laughing like he’d heard the world’s greatest joke. “Why do you think I made everyone else leave and kept it just between us? After decades of venture capital, do you really think I don’t know how this works?”

He slowly stroked his cane. “I know full well that your testimony alone doesn’t count as evidence. Everyone else who knew is dead. It’s just you and me now. What proof could you possibly find?”

“Evidence is always out there to be found,” I told him, meeting his eyes.

Liu Yinyan paused, then went quiet for a bit. “Could you earn ten million in your whole life? Both you and I know only we know about this—and I admit, this is the one thing in life my conscience balks at! They’re bound to call again. If you want to help me, stay. If not, I won’t ask for your help anymore.”

“You’ve been here for days. What have you found out?” He waved his hand. “Nothing. I’ve lost faith in you. Let them take whatever they want.”

He acted so secure, so untouchable, but I could tell Liu Yinyan was desperate, pushed to the limit. Not only had he revealed the secret he’d locked away for thirty-five years, but he’d also laid all his cards on the table with me. Five days, a single severed finger, was all it took to shatter a cold, stern man.

We were alone in the empty hall—just me and Liu Yinyan. Outside, the villa was soaked in deep night, darkness wrapped around everything. But was it the night that was darker… or the human heart? The more I thought about it, the more it felt like true goodness didn’t exist, that everyone had skeletons in their closet.

Some wounds were deep, some could be let go, but others would be locked away forever.

“Even though you have no evidence, let me warn you: if I fall, plenty of people will go down with me. When that happens, they’ll blame you, not me. And that’s not just my personal opinion—that’s what I say as an investor.” With that, Liu Yinyan got up from the sofa and headed for the stairs.

Standing on the first step, he turned back to me. “I’m seventy years old. Confucius said, ‘At fifty, you understand your destiny.’ I’ve known mine for twenty years, but I still don’t understand people. So how could I hope to see destiny clearly? Even if you’re set on making a big scandal out of this, I hope you wait until after you find my daughter.”

He started up the stairs but turned again, adding, “That’s me speaking as a father.”

The night passed in silence.

Liu Yinyan made a lot of sense, but I couldn’t let it go. Only we can decide life or death for ourselves—not anyone else, no matter how many people they might go on to save. But I also understood just how hard it would be to take Liu Yinyan down, to seek justice for someone who’d been dead for thirty-five years.

But sometimes, we hold on not because we see hope—but because by holding on, hope appears.

I’d made up my mind—to look deeply into Liu Yinyan’s story once this case was finished.

I chose not to stay, and left the room.

Early the next morning, Liu Yinyan called to tell us we were nothing but parasites kept on his payroll. He said he didn’t need any more help. No one saw that coming, and nobody could figure out what Liu Yinyan was thinking.

But I knew exactly why Liu Yinyan was doing this—he’d never admit to his dirty secret with anyone else around, let alone a group.

Team Leader Shao sat in his chair, tapping his fingers on the desk—a classic sign of irritation and impatience in psychology. He sighed, then said, “What on earth is going on with Liu Yinyan? Why’s he suddenly pulling this?”

I almost spoke up, but decided to keep quiet. At this point, nothing I said would change things. If I did bring up what happened, it would only complicate everything. Better to stay silent for now.

Team Leader Shao rolled his teacup between his hands. After a long pause, he said, “Mary, pull everyone back for now. This afternoon, let’s have some plainclothes people keep an eye on the villa district.”

Mary nodded. “And the listening devices?”

Team Leader Shao sighed. “He can swap out all the equipment easily. Even if we keep listening, if he doesn’t want us to hear, there’s no way we will. We’ll just take things as they come. If anyone meets with him, we follow.”

He glanced over at me. “So, what did you two talk about yesterday?”

I waved it off. “He shouted at me for a bit.”

Team Leader Shao sighed. “Let’s just leave it for now.”

At ten o’clock, Gu Chen pushed the door open.

Well, almost. First, there was a balding man with a big bushy beard barging in. Then, Gu Chen came in after him. My spirits lifted—wasn’t this Lin Dafa, the guy the hand-rolled tobacco shop owner had mentioned? I couldn’t believe how fast things moved—just a day after talking about him, Lin Dafa was caught!

“Team Leader Shao! Team Leader Shao!” I called out quickly. “Look who’s here!”

Only then did Team Leader Shao put down his teacup and look up. “And this is…?”

Gu Chen darted in from the back. “This is Lin Dafa. First thing this morning, he went to buy hand-rolled tobacco, and I nabbed him right there. He definitely didn’t have the chance to warn anyone on the way here.”

Team Leader Shao’s eyes lit up. I could tell he was so happy he could’ve kissed Gu Chen. He said, “Well done! Interrogate him! No way we won’t find out where the others are hiding this time.”

Inside the interrogation room, it was me, Gu Chen, and Team Leader Shao—Mary handled the notes.

“Lin Dafa. You’ve been on the run for three years. You’ve killed two people.” Team Leader Shao spoke slowly. “What do you think will happen to you?”

Lin Dafa looked at us—four in total—and showed off his yellowed teeth, stained from years of cigarettes. He grinned. “Last two times, you didn’t make such a big fuss over me. Now you bring all four? My fate? I know it. Life or death, either way, that’s all it is.”

He used to be a migrant worker, never said much. But looking at him now, that bearded balding man sure loved to talk.

“Everyone dies sooner or later. Some get hit by a car just walking down the street, some choke on their dinner out of nowhere.” Lin Dafa laughed, his eyes drifting over us. “It’s all fate, you know. When I was ten, a fortune-teller told me I’d hit a huge hurdle at forty-two—get past it and life’s smooth, fail and I’m either dead or crippled.”

We could all tell—Lin Dafa was rambling on purpose, trying to throw us off the trail.

Team Leader Shao slammed his hand on the table. “Lin Dafa, if you tell us where your accomplices are, we might be able to help you! Maybe even spare your life!”

“Spare my life?” Lin Dafa laughed out loud. “Do you really think death scares me? Death’s the least scary thing in this world. Everyone dies. I’ll die, you’ll die—no one escapes it. What’s so scary about that?”

My heart tightened. I knew—there was no way Lin Dafa was ever going to tell us where his accomplices were. Threatening him with death was useless now. Maybe only Lin Rong could break him.

“Aren’t you worried about your daughter?” Team Leader Shao switched tactics, trying to play on his emotions. “We know why you did all this. Have you seen your daughter these past years? Is she doing better? Your death might not matter to you, but what about her future?”

“She’s an adult now, right?” Team Leader Shao’s tone softened.

Lin Dafa’s lips twitched. It almost looked like he wanted to say something.