The resort was lit up brightly at night.
Jian Jing had a seafood dinner at the restaurant, and posted a check-in photo on social media, looking relaxed on vacation. No one could imagine she was here to investigate an arson case.
Ji Feng was much more miserable, following the manager around the entire resort, hurriedly eating a sandwich to ease his hunger. He then had to exchange information with his colleague who was tailing Pan Jianli.
The colleague said: "Pan Jianli is not working today, he's been at home the whole time."
Ji Feng breathed a sigh of relief, and reported the situation here.
His colleague was focused on the wrong thing: "You're going overboard, assigning us the hard work while you go out with a pretty girl. Are you working or dating?"
Ji Feng said disdainfully: "All you think about is pretty girls. Can you focus more on her talents and less on her looks? There are beautiful girls everywhere, how many are like Jian Jing?"
Colleague: "..." What's wrong with looking at beauty? It's a masculine instinct!
"Alright, you focus on the case." He chuckled.
Ji Feng: "Let me tell you, I have a bad feeling about this."
Colleague immediately got serious: "Pan Jianli?"
"He has an extreme personality, loves vanity, and went from the carefree son of a boss to what he is now because of the Fang family's actions. He has huge motives." Ji Feng said, "His suspicions are no less than Pan Jianli's, but I'm not sure he would come here."
The colleague said: "Didn't you say the land his family acquired was here?"
"It was here, but I checked the map just now." Ji Feng didn't waste the afternoon, "The land Kenxin Real Estate acquired has become greenhouse sheds, where people can pick their own vegetables and fruits, 50 yuan per person for half an hour, quite popular."
The colleague understood his concerns: "If he were to burn something, that land should be the first target."
"Exactly." Ji Feng frowned, gaze turning out the window.
Under the low night sky, neon lights flickered. By the pool were frolicking children and ladies, aroma of steak drifted from the barbecue stalls, and a rainbow adorned the distant horizon.
Resort hotels are different from regular hotels, they don't build tall buildings, at most two floors. The top floor by the lake should be an extremely expensive restaurant.
The observation deck in the park, the teaching building at the kindergarten, the movie theater at the shopping mall... Ji Feng realized: "I'll talk to you later."
He rushed out of the lobby before finishing his sentence.
The restaurant closed at 9pm. There were several small log cabins nearby, specifically for tourists to camp out overnight by the roadside.
As he approached, someone poked their head out of the nearest cabin and waved at him.
"What are you doing here?" Jian Jing asked.
Ji Feng ducked into the cabin. It was a small single room, about the size of a regular hotel room. There seemed to be cracks in the window, letting in wisps of chill air.
"What else could I be doing." He dragged over a stool and sat by the window, immediately occupying the observation spot. "Lying in ambush."
Jian Jing raised her brow: "You figured it out?"
"I was a step too late." Ji Feng looked very regretful. "I should have realized earlier that the few focal arson spots were all high up. The culprit resents those upstairs."
Jian Jing said: "He must resent people of high status."
A criminal's psychology is profound. Though there are countless case studies and models created by experts, each person is different. Many cases require empathy to gain even a tiny spark of inspiration.
The police investigation into Pan Jianli had inspired her.
"The observation deck in the park was probably his first target." She analyzed, "Secluded, safe, easy to access in and out, meets the requirements for a first attempt. But the park has many secluded spots, the observation deck wasn't the optimal choice, at least in terms of deterrence and revenge."
Ji Feng nodded in agreement: "That reflected his psychology the most. He chose a high spot, revealing his resentment towards upper class people."
"So he chose the kindergarten next—it was the most upscale private kindergarten in his delivery range. The cars that came to pick up and drop off kids must be luxury brands, further provoking him." Jian Jing said, "He chose the tallest, most dignified building in the kindergarten."
She added after thinking: "The resort may not necessarily be his next choice. The Fang Corporation building would actually be more suitable for revenge."
The Fang Corporation building was over 50 stories tall, symbolizing the upper class looking down on him. Burning it would definitely be more satisfying than other places.
"Not necessarily." Ji Feng smiled knowingly, having a different perspective. "According to the neighbors, he's a bully—shouting at the elderly security guard but not daring to argue with car owners. His nature is cowardly. He may not have the courage to burn the Fang building looming before him."
He said, "The crimes are escalating progressively. Look, his first choice was the park favored by seniors, the second was a place for children, the third was the shopping mall for regular people, and the fourth is here, fitting his psychological profile."
The lakeside restaurant at the resort was the tallest building nearby, with exorbitant prices, matching his resentment, but the resort was remote after all, with less oppressive force.
"Let's see if our luck is good enough then." Jian Jing opened a can of beer and asked him, "Do you want one?"
Ji Feng waved his hand: "You're doing this for fun, I'm working. Drinking on the job would get me fired tomorrow."
Jian Jing shrugged. "What a pity."
She took a swig of beer, then a bite of barbecue, aroma drifting everywhere.
Ji Feng couldn't drink alcohol, but he could eat. He helped himself to some grilled fish familiarly: "The taste is pretty good, very fresh. Haven't had hot barbecue in a long time."
"Why become a cop when it's so tough?" Jian Jing chatted with him.
He twisted open a bottle of mineral water and took a sip. It was a bit salty: "Because there are things that only cops can do."
Jian Jing raised her brow: "What do you want to do, uphold justice? Catch villains and save innocents?"
"Nothing so grand." Ji Feng said meaningfully, "I just want to catch criminals, which happens to be just."
She couldn't help looking surprised.
This time, it was Ji Feng's turn to ask her curiously: "You earn money as a writer, yet you pay to catch criminals here. What attracted you?"
"I don't know." She sighed, troubled: "Sometimes I also wonder if I want to catch the criminal, purely enjoy solving mysteries, or... justice?"
Ji Feng laughed and said unexpectedly frankly: "That's why I chose to be a cop. I just need to catch criminals, the trials are someone else's business."
Jian Jing grew suspicious: "Are you trying to trick me into becoming a cop again?"
"You saw through me." He spread his hands regretfully.
"Boring."
Ji Feng guffawed, but soon became serious again: "I know what you mean. But Jian Jing, what is justice, who has the right to uphold it? As you know, most people claiming to be justice's agent are in fact murderers."
Jian Jing: "..." He made a good point, she was rendered speechless.
"Let the law uphold justice, so we can have less worries." As he spoke, he deftly plucked the crushed can from her hand and tossed it neatly into the trash bag.
Jian Jing slowly uncurled her fingers, looking vaguely dazed.
It wasn't a "standard" answer, yet somehow comforted her inexplicably.
He was right, human affairs were complex, who could claim to be absolutely right? Those believing themselves to be absolutely right had likely already gone astray without knowing it.
"Alright." She opened a new can of beer with a snap. "Cheers to the law."
Jian Jing raised the mineral water bottle to clink glasses with him, but said, "Don't drink too much. We're here to catch criminals, not celebrate with drinks."
"First half catching people, second half celebrating, no problem." She drank it all in one go, and deliberately asked, "Really not drinking?"
Ji Feng said: "You're just trying to tempt me."
Jian Jing tilted her head, the fine strands of hair falling on her cheeks, the beer even more fragrant now.
"Stingy, it was just one time I got your hopes up." Ji Feng shook his head, his gaze never leaving the window.
The night was already deep, and the people by the poolside gradually returned to their rooms to sleep. At this season, there were no other guests renting the little cabins. The surroundings became very quiet, with only the chirping of insects.
The noise faded into the distance, and the moonlight grew more secluded.
It was at this time that Ji Feng noticed a sneaky shadow. He got up quickly and silently, inconspicuously moving to the window, eyes locked tightly on the figure.
"At the back door." Jian Jing also stood up, hiding on the other side of the window frame.
With night vision goggles and binoculars, she could see even more clearly than Ji Feng, and could even see he was wearing a mask and carrying a bucket of something: "Holding gasoline."
"I'll go, you keep watch," Ji Feng said in a low voice. "Don't startle the snake."
Jian Jing made an "OK" hand gesture.
He slipped out through the door seam without a sound.
Jian Jing was a little envious. This agility, even with enhancement cards, was stronger than her's. Jealousy arose.
Ji Feng had professional training. With no equipment at all, his ability to approach in the dark was still stronger than Jian Jing's. She could only see clearly, but he was also particular about the footsteps when stepping on the grass.
In a few breaths, Ji Feng was close to the figure.
Jian Jing predicted the direction the figure had come from, and tiptoed around that way. In her field of vision an electric scooter hidden in the grass appeared, and she was overjoyed, sidling up to the wall and decisively pulling out the key.
Ji Feng was already close to the figure.
The man was sneakily carrying a bucket of gasoline, splashing it on the wall and door, enthusiastically going about it, when he suddenly felt a chill at the back of his head.
The next moment, a coat was thrown over his head, and tremendous force struck his back as someone firmly pressed him down, twisting his hands back to be handcuffed behind his back.
The lighter that was pinched in his hand dropped and was kicked far away.
Ji Feng breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately the timing was right, otherwise if that lighter had been lit, with so many accelerants around, even a small mistake could lead to burns.
"Police," he flashed his badge. "You're under arrest."
The other raised his neck and howled incessantly: "Let me go, let me go!!"
"Behave yourself." Without handcuffs for this casual clothes operation, Ji Feng had restraint straps to tie up his hands and feet, trussing him up directly like a salted fish.
Only then did Ji Feng lift his head to get a look at his face in the moonlight.
Pan Jianli.
Damn, lost a bet for a milk tea.
