Attention Sir, I Have Your Heart Handcuffed!-Chapter 654 - 487, Epilogue 14: A Hint of Bitterness, A Touch of Sweetness

Chapter 654: 487, Epilogue 14: A Hint of Bitterness, A Touch of Sweetness

On the second day, the phone signal appeared in that seemingly inexplicable Town B, far from both Town A’s road network and railway system. Qi Xiuqi and all the officers who went to Town A were bewildered, unable to fathom why the phone signal would show up in such an illogical place.

Shi Haoran focused intently on the technicians’ positioning.

Just as he expected, within three minutes, the phone signal vanished again.

He collapsed into a chair, coughing even more violently.

Director Zheng rushed over personally, but Shi Haoran waved him off: "Director Zheng, have Xiao Qi and the others return; there’s no need for them to go to Town B. We’ve been played."

Director Zheng furrowed his brows: "Old Shi, we all know you’re anxious. But since there’s a lead, let them go check it out before we decide."

Shi Haoran shook his head: "No, the suspect is directly attacking my logic this time. They want to tell me my logic is flawed. And if the logic is wrong, then all the deductions have to be overturned and redone."

Over the years, the municipal bureau’s attitude towards Shi Haoran has changed multiple times. When Shi Haoran first worked as a grassroots officer, he used psychological profiling methods to solve crimes and gradually gained a reputation. However, most of the bureau’s leaders thought these methods were unreliable and that any success was merely by chance, thus they initially didn’t take Shi Haoran seriously.

Later, when a serial killer appeared in Yun City, even the provincial bureau dispatched personnel to handle it, requiring the case to be solved quickly. This serial killer was a former soldier with high anti-reconnaissance skills, resulting in days of effort but no traces of the killer. With the time limit pressing, the bureau leaders had no choice but to temporarily deputize Shi Haoran, bringing him swiftly into the task force.

Within three days of joining the team, Shi Haoran pieced together a profile from the fragmented clues available at the time. By analyzing the killer’s psychological motives for committing crimes in the city and his anti-reconnaissance skills, as well as the radius of his crime range, Shi Haoran accurately outlined the suspect’s characteristics, helping to break the case open.

Then, by retrieving related personnel archives, the police quickly narrowed down the suspect’s range and finally locked down the suspect through cross-comparison with local military personnel’s familial connections.

The municipal bureau was commended by the provincial bureau, and the leaders gained a new perspective on Shi Haoran and his methods. The then-director personally ordered his transfer from the grassroots police station, skipping the district sub-bureau and directly into the municipal bureau.

Shi Haoran proved formidable, displaying surprising intuition and reasoning abilities in tackling major and difficult cases upon joining the municipal bureau. Over the following ten years, the bureau even developed a psychological dependency on him in case-solving.

The television station even filmed a drama based on Shi Haoran’s story. The Chinese police force knew that Yun City had a grassroot-origin detective. Though the drama content inevitably exaggerated and glorified his image, Shi Haoran once cautiously expressed his opinion, but due to promotional needs at the time, his opinion was shelved.

Everything was overturned again three years ago: virtual cases began to appear, using criminal tactics from Shi Haoran’s previously solved cases. Initially, everyone had utmost confidence in Shi Haoran, believing he would lead them to a swift resolution, but it turned out that they were purely virtual cases, causing the police to waste manpower, energy, and resources.

By that time, Shi Haoran was already in his fifties, approaching retirement age, prompting young officers to start doubting, feeling Shi Haoran’s methods were outdated and that he had overstayed his prime.

Yet, the old-timers at the bureau understood secretly that it might very well be the overly exaggerated and glorified publicity from back then that sparked the criminals’ challenging spirit.

Under immense pressure from repute to skepticism, Shi Haoran has borne tremendous stress in these years, and his health has declined. At this moment, he seemed merely an aging colleague.

Thus, Director Zheng had to hold reservations about Shi Haoran’s opinion at this time.

Although Town B’s appearance departed from logical deduction, having clues is still better than none. Perhaps Old Shi was just overwhelmed with concern for his daughter this time.

Qi Xiuqi and the others weren’t withdrawn and proceeded to Town B. Naturally, they found nothing again.

That day, the municipal bureau plunged from high spirits into boundless silence, as everyone’s morale was deeply affected.

Among them, Shi Haoran was the most affected. He realized that the leaders and colleagues no longer trusted him as they once did, his opinions were brushed aside, and hence another precious day was wasted!

As a father, he’s unable to rescue his daughter; as an officer, he’s presently unable to influence the leaders and colleagues, plunging him into endless self-blame and distress.

So, when the phone signal unexpectedly reemerged near C Village on the third day, completely defying police deductions once more, Shi Haoran couldn’t contain his anger, slamming the table: "Why can’t you trust me? Because I’m old? Because of those continuous virtual cases from the past three years, is it?!"

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By the third day, even in the darkness, Shi Nian could feel Tang Yanqing was getting anxious.

Shi Nian didn’t know what was troubling Tang Yanqing and could only take extra care of him, comforting him. She worried that he had reached his psychological limit in this predicament.

In such darkness, one can truly go mad.

But, in fact, Tang Yanqing was already anxious about the next step in his cat-and-mouse game with Shi Haoran.

He knew it was approximately the third day, and Gu Yong would definitely come to ask about the next plan.

To give plans meant to torment the police, torment Shi Haoran, he struggled greatly; yet if he did not provide the next step, Gu Yong would certainly not let him stay with Shi Nian... If Shi Nian encountered any danger, he wouldn’t be able to rescue her immediately.

Besides, Shi Haoran was an equally formidable opponent; every time he had to go against Shi Haoran, he too needed to exhaust his mind, straining every aspect of reasoning.

Yet, while he strained his mind to torment Shi Haoran, Shi Nian was beside him, taking extra care of him, gently comforting him... he couldn’t help but feel he’s truly despicable.

This self-struggle, this contradiction battered his brain, making him subconsciously resist finding better ways.

As a result, he developed a fever, his mouth and tongue, numbed by Banxia poisoning, felt like a stuffed cloth blocking his breath.

Shi Nian, alarmed, frequently reached to touch his forehead, untied his collar buckle, and fanned him with her hand.

His swollen tongue and throat made it difficult for him to eat.

Shi Nian was so worried that she ignored her own meal, carefully watching him, insisting that he must eat despite the difficulty in swallowing.

Faced with her, his heart surged with unspoken words, yet he couldn’t utter them.

In those moments, the signal conveyed by one finger for "yes" and two fingers for "no" couldn’t help him at all.

In a hurry, his throat emitted sounds, yet he couldn’t speak.

She became more anxious, thinking he was choked by phlegm, repeatedly saying: "If only we were at my house, I’d have my mom make dried orange peel duck soup for you to cool down."

He knew if he continued fretting and getting worked up like this, not only would his health collapse, but she’d equally be distressed. So he took a deep breath, reminding himself to get hold of his emotions.

At this time, he absolutely must not fall ill; otherwise, if any situation arose, he’d be powerless to protect her.

He then tried to smile, lightly tapping her arm with a fingertip.

He meant "good," he wanted to say someday he must visit her home, must taste her mom’s homemade dried orange peel duck.

Seeing him finally able to engage with her with such a relaxed attitude, instead of being trapped in his world, anxiously fretting alone, Shi Nian took a long breath.

She couldn’t help but have eyes with tears barely visible: "Do you also like dried orange peel duck?"

He nodded with one finger.

Shi Nian smiled: "My grandpa taught at the university, and he was strict about food and herbs, so originally my mom ate the ’Guang Chenpi’ at my grandparents’ house. Guang Chenpi is made from the peel of large red tangerines, famous in Xinhui, using very strict materials. But later when my mom married my dad, he was just a grassroots cop; when we needed dried orange peel at home, we couldn’t always buy the relatively expensive Guang Chenpi."

Recalling the past, she tilted her head and smiled: "So, my mom, with her clever hands, made dried orange peel from ordinary citrus peels herself. Apart from Guang Chenpi, regular dried orange peel is made from citrus or orange peels, which can be done at home, with similar effectiveness."

"So every autumn, our window curtains were strings of citrus peel. We always used fully ripened citrus, so those peels were golden yellow. The same color as the autumn sun, and the citrus fragrance wafted with the breeze. Neighbors coming to our house said my mom was smart, even saving the cost of perfume."

Listening, he couldn’t help but smile gently.

Such a mother who could return to simplicity after a life of luxury and infuse plain living with fragrance and beauty would surely have a daughter just as exceptional.