Ning Fan let out a long, quiet sigh and pressed the accelerator, driving the car straight ahead.
He gripped the steering wheel with both hands, watching the silent Jiang Yuening in the rearview mirror.
He wanted to say something, but didn’t know what.
The atmosphere inside the car was deathly still.
It wasn’t until they stopped at a red light that Ning Fan finally gathered his thoughts and spoke up.
“Miss Jiang Yuening, I’d like to ask, how much does your City A Monster Response Department currently know about this case?”
“Not much. We just received the report,” Jiang Yuening said casually. “As someone who was once closely connected to them as a colleague, do you have any insider information to share with me?”
“You’re joking. After they forced me out of the company, we were no longer on the same path.” Ning Fan sighed. ‘I haven’t had any contact with them for years. I’m not familiar with them at all.’
“That’s a real shame. I thought you might be able to provide some leads for this case,” Jiang Yuening replied.
Just as they were talking, the light turned green.
Ning Fan glanced back at Jiang Yuening, taking in her calm expression.
He thought back to his own days working at the City A Monster Response Department, a wave of complex emotions washing over him.
‘Even at the age of taking the college entrance exams, Sapphire is still this composed.’
Back when he worked at the department, he’d rarely seen this stern, black-haired girl smile. It was still the same now.
As for himself, all the ups and downs in society over the years had left him looking much more worn out. His mental state wasn’t as good as it used to be.
Fortunately, he’d developed a good habit of always keeping some savings in his account to cover daily expenses.
That had helped him get through the toughest times. Otherwise, Ning Fan felt he might have truly lost his mind back then.
But as for his former partners… he had no idea how they were doing now.
“By the way, there’s something I need to ask you. How much do you know about the victims in this case? Did they have any enemies, or were there issues with their personalities?”
Just as Ning Fan was lost in memories, Jiang Yuening, sitting in the back, suddenly spoke up, asking him about the circumstances of the case.
Hearing her mention his former partners, Ning Fan fell silent for a few seconds before finally deciding to cooperate with her work.
“My impressions of them are all from when we started the company together years ago. So, don’t take my words too seriously. Just treat them as a story.”
“I know. So much time has passed; their image must have changed somewhat,” Jiang Yuening nodded. “Just speak freely. I won’t make things difficult for you.”
“Since you put it that way, I’ll be straightforward.”
Assured by the Magic Girl’s promise, Ning Fan began to recall the details of the past in his mind.
He pieced together the images of his partners from his memory, combining their daily routines and decisions from back then, reconstructing those memories that had once seemed so dreamlike and precious to him.
But thinking about how they had turned on him afterward for his shares, Ning Fan couldn’t help but feel sad, his voice dropping low.
“They were my university classmates. They had good personalities and were reliable in their work.”
“When I passed the exam and got into the City A Monster Response Department, they even drank with me to celebrate. They told me that if I couldn’t keep going in the future, I could find them to start a business together.”
“I kept their words in my heart. Once I had saved enough money, no longer satisfied with my quiet life, wanting better days and to buy my dream car outright, I called them and went to find them.”
As Ning Fan spoke, a faint smile actually appeared on his face.
Perhaps for him, those precious memories were truly rare.
“When they got my call, they all said I was crazy. They thought I was doing fine in the Monster Response Department, so why would I want to do something like start a business.”
“But when they understood my thinking, they fell silent. Then, without another word, they quit their jobs with me and decided to start the business together, to fight alongside me.”
“They were really, really good people. They were true friends I was lucky to have, the kind I might never meet again.”
The speed of the white sedan gradually slowed, steadily cruising forward on the smooth, straight road.
Jiang Yuening raised an eyebrow slightly, feeling somewhat puzzled. She didn’t understand why this guy would still speak well of the friends who had betrayed him.
She didn’t understand Ning Fan, but she chose to respect him. She didn’t interrupt, quietly being a qualified listener.
“During those difficult, impoverished times, we all took on multiple roles. Whenever someone ran out of money and couldn’t hold on, the others would lend a hand to help them through.”
“At the time, we even thought about keeping accounts of who used whose money, to pay it back after we made it big. But the one who supported us the most said not to bother. He said we were going to make big money in the future, not to worry about these trivial little things.”
“Everyone was moved. We supported each other, worked hard together, and brainstormed how to improve the new product and get it to market.”
“That kind of life lasted for a full half a year, until… a company approached us.”
The middle-aged man’s voice suddenly dropped.
Ning Fan looked at the road ahead, glanced at the navigation on his phone, forcing himself to stay calm, not to grieve.
He cleared his throat. Noticing Jiang Yuening was calmly looking out the window, listening to his story from the past, Ning Fan steadied his mind again and continued.
“It was a large company. They were very interested in our product and were willing to invest, asking for only seven percent of the shares.”
“For us, that was a lifesaving sum of money that could take the product to the next level, and the terms they offered were the best.”
“They said they wouldn’t interfere with company operations, wouldn’t interfere with decisions, and wouldn’t try to take over project leadership.”
“We assessed the risks, sought advice from knowledgeable people outside, and all agreed it was a deal where the benefits far outweighed the risks.”
“Soon, we finalized the contract and accepted their arrangement.”
“And then, everything changed.”
Ning Fan took a deep breath, swallowed dryly, fiercely debating with himself whether to leave some face for his former partners.
But Jiang Yuening, listening to his slow narration, closed her eyes and spoke up for him.
“After the product successfully launched, your partners used your past friendship to make you sign a trap contract. Immediately after, they kidnapped you, wanting you to die…”
“…Yes, you’re right. They became arrogant, completely disregarding the bond forged through shared hardship.” Ning Fan sighed. “Thinking about it now, maybe they just went crazy.”
“No, I don’t think they were crazy.” Jiang Yuening said coldly. “If they wanted to silence you permanently, they wouldn’t have let you walk out onto the street back then. They would have had someone kill you directly.”
“Are you saying I should be grateful they didn’t kill me?” Ning Fan shook his head, smiling helplessly.
“Wrong. What I mean is, your experience back then is full of suspicious points.”
“What suspicious points? They just didn’t want to share the money…”
“Why would they have someone kidnap you? Why, after kidnapping you and wanting to kill you, didn’t they dispose of the body? Why, in the end, could the authorities find no clues at all, only discovering traces of those partners’ activities through indirect means?” Jiang Yuening interrupted Ning Fan. “After all these years, don’t you find that strange?”
Ning Fan fell silent.
He gripped the steering wheel with both hands, watching the children playing badminton near their home, hitting the high lobs back and forth, and murmured to himself.
“How could I not find it strange…”