Chapter 65: Captain Yan
"I haven't done anything! Hang on, I'll be right down."
Chen Ge leaned out the window to take a look. A large crowd had indeed gathered at the entrance of the haunted house, forming three or four layers inside and out, with the number still growing.
"Boss, maybe you should just turn yourself in. I feel like this has blown up."
"Turn myself in, my ass! Wait for me down there." Hanging up the phone, Chen Ge hastily threw on his coat, splashed some water on his face, and ran to the haunted house entrance.
Lifting the opaque curtain, he pushed open the protective railing.
Sunlight fell on him. When Chen Ge appeared, the noisy crowd gradually quieted down.
The tourists on the periphery all looked at Chen Ge, their gazes mixed with curiosity and a hint of faint disappointment. This man, under tight police surveillance, was far too ordinary in appearance.
It was also Chen Ge's first time being stared at by so many people. The atmosphere was awkward, and he felt he should say something: "Can I ask what brings everyone here?"
"Are you Chen Ge?" The lead police officer held a box. He was slightly stocky, with sharp eyes and a mature demeanor, but because of his baby face, he gave off an oddly amusing vibe.
"Yes."
"May I see your ID?"
Chen Ge fumbled around for a while, took out his ID, and handed it over. During this time, he secretly observed the officer in front of him. The uniform this officer wore was different from Captain Li's and his team's.
"Alright, identity confirmed." The stocky officer smiled, waved over the nearby reporters, opened the box in his hand, and said in a very official tone: "In the Ping An Apartment mass murder case, Comrade Chen Ge provided key clues. According to Jiujiang City's interim regulations on awarding honorary medals to public security personnel and active治安积极分子 with special contributions, the Municipal Public Security Bureau has specially awarded Comrade Chen Ge a Third-Class Public Security Honorary Medal! We hope Comrade Chen Ge cherishes this honor and continues to make new contributions to maintaining social stability and promoting social harmony!"
This string of words left Chen Ge completely stunned. The turn of events was too fast. He took the box, his drowsiness not yet fully gone, staring at the medal inside with only one thought in his mind—what about the reward money?
The stocky officer stood beside Chen Ge, praising him lavishly to the surrounding reporters taking photos. The whole process lasted fifteen minutes before it ended.
The crowd dispersed. After the reporters left, Chen Ge quietly approached the stocky officer: "Brother, how should I address you?"
"My surname is Yan. You can call me Captain Yan. I'm an old classmate of Old Li from the West City Police Station. He's mentioned you to me." Captain Yan seemed very amiable, a hint of appreciation in his gaze as he looked at Chen Ge: "Your handling of the Ping An Apartment mass murder case was spot on. Later, when you were being chased by the suspect, your reactions and insight surprised both me and Old Li."
After being praised by Captain Yan, Chen Ge felt embarrassed to ask about the reward money: "This is at best just a bit of cleverness on my part. Without you all, I might never have escaped Ping An Apartment. 'The people's police serve the people'—that saying couldn't be truer."
After an awkward round of mutual flattery, Captain Yan noticed Chen Ge still lingering by the police car, unwilling to leave. He smiled slightly, already understanding the reason: "Xiao Chen, for the reward money from the mass murder case and the bonus from the Third-Class Public Security Honorary Medal, you'll need to bring your documents and personally go to the Municipal Bureau to collect them. Because the case spans a long time, it's been delayed quite a bit. I hope you understand."
"No problem, no problem." Knowing he could go collect the reward money, Chen Ge's anxious heart finally settled back into place.
"I came here early today purely to express my gratitude to you. Every cold case is a stone weighing on a police officer's heart. Case files are passed from master to apprentice, handed down continuously. I also participated in this case four years ago; it was a bit of a knot for me." Captain Yan's smile was genuine: "Oh, by the way, the old man from Ping An Apartment also wants to see you. He's paralyzed in a wheelchair, can't move his lower body, can't speak, but his mind is clear. He knows you saved him and solved the case from years ago, and he wants to thank you in person."
"Mm."
To Chen Ge, the mass murder case was just a task on the black phone, but to the victim's family, it held great significance.
"You'd better go soon. The old man is in the hospital. It might be because his emotions are too stirred up, or maybe the obsession that kept him going has faded—either way, his condition isn't looking too optimistic right now." After saying this, Captain Yan got into the car.
"Alright, I'll go over when I have time today." Chen Ge looked at the officer's somewhat distinctive uniform and felt that Captain Yan was no ordinary person.
Once the police car left, Xu Wan and the park staff gathered around.
"Boss, are you going to be on TV again!"
"Nice, and you got an honorary medal too."
After brushing them off with a few words, Chen Ge found Uncle Xu in the crowd and pulled him into a corner.
"Uncle, how's that thing I asked you about renting the underground parking lot? The funds are coming in soon!"
As soon as he heard Chen Ge wanted to rent the underground parking lot, Uncle Xu immediately frowned: "It's not a matter of funds. I can't just watch you jump into a fire pit. The park's overall visitor numbers are declining, and everyone's thinking about exit strategies. Can't you be a little more rational?"
"I'm very rational. I know what I'm doing." Chen Ge's attitude was firm. The haunted house might hide key clues about his parents' disappearance, and only by continuously developing it could he qualify and have the ability to access that level of things.
"Stubborn as a mule." Uncle Xu argued for a long time, but Chen Ge didn't budge an inch. Helpless, he finally nodded: "Come with me. Since the fugitive sneaked into the park, Mr. Luo has also come. You can ask him directly."
"Director Luo is here too?" Chen Ge had heard his parents mention him a long time ago. Mr. Luo was the true helmsman of New Century Paradise.
"What do you think? When the city branch's criminal investigation team set up a perimeter around the park, they had to notify management and demand full cooperation. Director Luo has been staying in the park these past few days." Uncle Xu led Chen Ge to an office building at the northernmost edge of the park, the tallest structure there aside from the Ferris wheel: "When you see Mr. Luo, don't talk nonsense. Less talk means fewer mistakes; no talk means no mistakes. Got it?"
Chen Ge followed Uncle Xu into the elevator and up to the top floor of the office building. They stopped in front of a certain office door.
The door wasn't locked. Uncle Xu knocked on the door panel, and soon a man in his fifties came out from the inner room.
He wasn't very tall, with hair half black and half gray, soft facial features, and a suit that wasn't a brand name but was clean and neat, without a single wrinkle at the edges.
"Is this Mr. Luo? He doesn't look quite like the photos." To Chen Ge, the man before him seemed more like a retired teacher nearing the end of his career.