Inside the interrogation room, Da Xiong sat in stunned silence, staring at his parents with disbelief. His lips trembled, but no words came out.
What could he say? The request wasn't coming from Officer Yang, nor from the influential Tang Baiqing—it was coming from his own parents, the ones who gave him life!
Wu's father, too, had lost his usual anger and authoritative tone. He lowered his head, his voice trembling. "They... they're offering ten thousand for one year in prison."
Da Xiong sat motionless, his voice shaking. "Dad... Dad... I don't want to go to prison..."
Wu's father kept his head lowered, his voice hoarse. "Son, you know our situation. I'm done for in this life—no chance of turning things around. But... we have to survive, don't we? We have that one crappy house, but I have three sons. You're all grown now. What am I supposed to do to set you up, get you married and have kids?"
Da Xiong was speechless, turning to look at his mother, but she had turned away, crying quietly.
"I asked Officer Yang about your condition. He said you have a cognitive impairment, and that will be taken into account during the legal process. They'll have you tested for intellectual disability. If you go in, it won't be for long. Six or seven years, then we'll have the money, and you can still get married and have kids when you get out. Your older brothers won't forget you... they'll take care of you later in life."
"I... I won't do it!" Da Xiong couldn't get any support from his mother, so he gathered his courage to refuse his father's request.
Wu's father raised his head and looked at him. "If you don't do this, when will your older brothers get married? Are you going to leave them hanging?"
A moment of silence passed before Wu's father suddenly knelt on the floor. "I'm begging you, son... Please, help your older brothers. Help the family. Please..."
Da Xiong watched his father kneel before him, but he turned his head away, not out of compassion or some deep feeling but out of helplessness.
"Son, help your older brothers," his mother cried, her back still turned to him.
Half an hour later, Wu's parents left the interrogation room. They spent a long time talking with Tang's father in the car outside, even signing a simple agreement.
For Tang's father, arranging the case and reducing Da Xiong's sentence was no problem. He didn't need to deceive Wu's family—money was all it took. As long as the case could be quickly settled, and someone else took the fall for his son, he wouldn't mind. The money was a secondary concern.
For Tang's father, the best outcome was a speedy resolution where his son's role was kept secret, and the case was never brought up again. As for the financial loss, that wasn't his main concern.
Outside the police building, after having breakfast, Su Tianyu and the others asked the on-duty officer to arrange a meeting with Da Xiong, wanting to know when he would be released. To their surprise, the officer informed them that Da Xiong was about to be formally arrested.
This news left Su Tianyu in shock. Not having any connections within the Zhannan District Police, he quickly contacted Yu Mingyuan for more information.
Yu Mingyuan, who had been closely following the situation, knew much more than Su Tianyu and hinted that Da Xiong might be taking the fall for Tang Baiqing. The two families had already met and come to an agreement.
The news stunned Su Tianyu. Though he had seen much in his life, witnessing the depths of human nature, this situation still made him feel repulsed.
After their phone conversation, Su Tianyu asked Yu Mingyuan to use his connections to allow him to meet with Da Xiong. Yu Mingyuan immediately agreed.
Before Da Xiong was transferred to the police station's detention center, Su Tianyu met him in the interrogation room.
In the dimly lit room, Su Tianyu looked at Da Xiong, perplexed. "Why did you agree to this? Do you understand what this means? It means your life could be ruined!"
"... I... my parents came," Da Xiong murmured, his voice hoarse.
"You could have refused them! You have your own life! You don't have to listen to everything your family says!" Su Tianyu wasn't pretending to be a saint or moral authority. In fact, he would usually avoid meddling in other people's business, especially when it didn't concern him. But Da Xiong was different. After spending several months with him, Su Tianyu considered him a friend—pure and with no ulterior motives.
"Xiao... Xiao Yu-ge... they... they raised me," Da Xiong said softly.
Su Tianyu fell silent.
"Life... life... Sometimes there are things we can't avoid..." Da Xiong continued, looking down. "I... I can't help you with the warehouse anymore... Xiao Yu-ge."
Su Tianyu turned away, unsure of what to say.
Wu's parents had agreed, Da Xiong had agreed, and Tang's family was willing to pay. Everything had been arranged, tight and seamless. What could Su Tianyu say? Anything would be pointless.
After a moment of silence, Su Tianyu turned to Da Xiong. "I'll deposit some money for you. Take care of yourself."
Da Xiong didn't respond, staring blankly at the floor.
Su Tianyu pushed the door open and left, unsure of what kind of emotion was building up inside him.
Outside the building, Bai Hongbo frowned. "So, what did you decide?"
"An agreement was made in private. Da Xiong's going to prison."
"... Damn, this is messed up!" Bai Hongbo sighed and cursed. "But I guess it's normal. The world's like that. The three sisters from the Yu family have one kind of life, and the ones who work at the bar have another. They don't cross paths."
Bai Hongbo's words were like foul-smelling garbage—disgusting, but no one dared to argue with him.
Around 9 a.m., Da Xiong was transferred to the police station. Officer Yang personally took his statement, and his demeanor was no longer as friendly as before. He was all business now, explaining the case with a serious expression.
"You're the warehouse manager on the third floor, right?" Officer Yang said slowly, puffing on his cigarette. "Last night, when you came back, you saw the deceased, Qu Ying, arguing with Tang Baiqing over a personal issue. You knew Tang Baiqing, so you went down to intervene. During the confrontation, Qu Ying, who had injected herself with a hallucinogen, became agitated and attacked you, hitting you with a hammer used to secure the boat. In self-defense, you grabbed the hammer and hit her in the head, not intending to kill her."
Da Xiong remained silent, not responding.
"My officers will take you to the police station's hospital for a full examination. Make sure you tell the doctor about the injuries you sustained from Qu Ying's assault. Understand?" Officer Yang asked in a low tone.
Da Xiong looked up at him but said nothing.
"Cooperate with the doctors and get your injuries checked out," Officer Yang reminded him once again.
In another room, Tang Baiqing sat in front of the surveillance camera, giving his statement. "Yes, Qu Ying hit me first, and when Wu Shixiong came down to stop us, she started fighting with him. I'd spent a lot of money on Qu Ying, and she might've been scared of me, so... she took it out on Wu Shixiong. I was just standing there, trying to separate them."
Later that evening, after signing his statement, Tang Baiqing was released, awaiting further questioning.
Around 9:30 p.m., in the police station hospital, Da Xiong stood in a room where suspects had their photos taken, his gaze blank.
"Take off your clothes," the officer instructed.
Da Xiong undressed, standing in his underwear in front of the measuring wall.
Under the bright lights, Da Xiong's body was covered in a myriad of injuries—burns from cigarette butts, long scars from belt lashes, and smaller wounds, like those from fingernails. The colors of the scars varied—some black, others brown, indicating they were from different times.
The officer looked at him, stunned. "How... how did you get these?"
Da Xiong didn't answer.
"Hold up your ID card, we need to take your photo," the officer instructed.
Da Xiong silently picked up the card, holding it under his chin as the camera flashed.
The card read:
Name: Wu Shixiong
Gender: Male
Place of Origin: Zhannan District, Dragon City
Age: 19
Charge: Suspected of murder
The camera flashed again. Da Xiong stood still, his face devoid of any emotion.
One week later, Tang Baiqing resumed work as his father had finished negotiations with the victim's family. The specifics of the payment were unknown to outsiders.
On his first day back, Tang Baiqing was in a bad mood. Just as he was about to sleep at the office, a leader from the Zhannan District gang called him. "Hey Baiqing, are you busy?"
"No, I'm in the office. What's up?"
"Let's go out for a drink?"
"I'm not in the mood."
"Come on, I'm already in your office. Let's go!"
At the Su family residence in Dragon City, Su Tianyu was chatting with his third sister in the stone pavilion when Yu Mingyuan's call came through.
"Hello?"
"The case is over. Prepare to take delivery."
"Okay," Su Tianyu nodded.
Da Xiong went in, but it wouldn't affect any of the business at sea. Besides Su Tianyu, Bai Hongbo, and a few others, no one would be concerned about a minor with cognitive impairment.