Chapter 940: Chapter 945: Releasing Jiang Hao
"I’m not refusing you, it’s just... Haozi, I understand how you feel. There’s nothing wrong with revenge, but I don’t want hatred to blind you."
"Chen, don’t worry, I’m not a kid anymore. I know what can and can’t be done. Please, just tell me."
Facing Nanrong Hao’s persistent pleading, Ling Chen sighed helplessly and said, "Actually, you know the person who killed your father."
"Who?"
"Zhu Hong!"
"Him?" Nanrong Hao was taken aback and quickly asked, "Chen, are you sure it’s him?"
Ling Chen nodded and said, "Absolutely sure, I have no reason to lie to you. Haozi, Zhu Hong is not the same as before. He’s completely changed and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. If you go seeking revenge now, you’ll only put yourself in danger. So, stay away from this for now. I’ll help you get your revenge when the time is right."
Nanrong Hao pondered for a moment and replied, "Chen, you know I’ve always trusted you and listened to you. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything reckless."
"That’s for the best." Ling Chen paused before continuing, "About your father’s matter, don’t tell your sister for now. You know her temperament. If she finds out about this, who knows what uncontrollable actions she might take."
"Don’t worry, Chen, I won’t tell Sister."
"By the way," Ling Chen said, "I’ve arranged for someone to properly care for your father’s remains. After we settle things here, I’ll take you to bury your father."
"Thank you!"
Ling Chen patted Nanrong Hao on the shoulder with a slight smile, "No need for thanks between us, as long as you’re not upset with me. Alright, go rest for a bit, then come with me to the police station."
"To see Hao?"
Ling Chen nodded, "We’ll bring him back as well."
"Bring him back?" Nanrong Hao was puzzled, "Hao was framed by Zhao Zhengxiong. He should be serving years. Chen, did you pull some strings?" With that, Nanrong Hao’s eyes lit up, "Was it Officer Xia? No, Officer Xia is always fair and never biased. How did you persuade him? Could it be..."
Nanrong Hao looked at Ling Chen with a meaningful expression.
Ling Chen quickly explained, "Don’t overthink it. It’s not what you’re imagining. I did get help, but not from Officer Xia. Also, there’s nothing between me and Officer Xia so don’t get any wrong ideas. If your sister hears such rumors, I’ll be in trouble."
"Chen, rest assured, I’ll keep your secret."
"That’s more like it..." Ling Chen immediately realized something was off and said in a mock annoyed tone, "I think you deserve a beating."
Nanrong Hao laughed heartily and quickly ran towards his villa.
Watching Nanrong Hao’s retreating figure, Ling Chen smiled slightly and turned back into the villa.
At night, Ling Chen and Nanrong Hao headed straight for the police station.
In the visitor’s room, they hadn’t waited long before Xia Mutong pushed the door open and entered.
"Officer Xia." Ling Chen waved with a smile as a greeting.
Xia Mutong’s demeanor was somewhat cold. She snorted lightly, sat down, and looked at Ling Chen, "Alright, tell me, who did you get to back you up this time?"
Ling Chen awkwardly scratched his nose, "Officer Xia, you know Jiang Hao was framed. Those drugs had nothing to do with him."
"It’s not up to you to decide." Xia Mutong snapped, "I’m a cop, I rely on evidence, not personal ties. Even if he was framed, you need to provide evidence. If everyone were like you, what use would there be for the police in society?"
"Officer Xia, I understand you’re upset, but this is a special case. I had no choice. As you’ve seen, I’m in quite a bit of trouble right now, and I have no one to rely on. So, please help me out and make an exception. Let Jiang Hao out to help me first. Once I’m done, I’ll find evidence to prove his innocence, how about it?"
Xia Mutong replied irritably, "What’s the point of saying that now? Orders from above have already come down, telling me to release Jiang Hao immediately. With your strong backing, why do you even need my help?" Having said that, she stood up and left the visitor’s room without a further word.
Ling Chen could only smile wryly. He knew Xia Mutong’s character and that she wouldn’t be pleased when he used his connections to get Jiang Hao released.
However, he didn’t have the luxury to worry about it now. With Jiang Hao by his side, things would be much easier.
Moments later, two officers brought Jiang Hao into the visitor’s room. Seeing Jiang Hao’s rosy face, Nanrong Hao couldn’t help but laugh.
"Hao, I thought you’d been suffering in there. Who would’ve thought you’d gain weight? Seems like the food in there wasn’t bad."
"All thanks to Officer Xia looking after me. Hey Chen, make sure you thank Officer Xia properly for me later."
Ling Chen shrugged. If he went to see Xia Mutong now, she’d refuse to meet him.
"Alright, let’s go. We don’t have time to waste here."
After leaving the police station, the three of them got into Nanrong Hao’s Audi.
As the car started, Jiang Hao looked at Ling Chen and asked, "Chen, was it Officer Xia who got me out?"
Ling Chen impatiently waved his hand, "You’ve all asked this question a few times already. Can you stop asking? I don’t know why you have so much chatter."
This time, getting Jiang Hao out was mainly thanks to Mr. Zhang. Ling Chen called him to explain Jiang Hao’s situation and indirectly hinted at how helpful Jiang Hao was to him. Because of this, Mr. Zhang made an exception and got Jiang Hao released.
"Chen, Hu called." Nanrong Hao handed the phone to Ling Chen.
"Hey! Fatty, did you find anything?"
"I analyzed that tire tread you gave me thoroughly. After repeated comparisons, it should belong to a large Luyang-brand truck. Those kinds of trucks have huge trailers, easily fitting forty to fifty people," Hu Fei continued, "I just checked the surveillance near the bridge tunnel. There were two trucks of the same model appearing at dawn yesterday. I traced both trucks and ruled out one, leaving the other as suspicious."
"Alright, send me the address. I’ll go take a look."
"Okay, I’ll text it to you later. Hey! Just a word of caution, be careful."
"Don’t worry, I know what to do."
Hanging up, Ling Chen looked at the address on his phone and said, "Haozi, head to North City District."