How You Can Sue Me for My Crimes in Dreams

”Brother Huo, I have a plan!”

An excited smile broke out on Wang Chao’s face, his stakeout a success.

”What do you think? How about I raise pigs at that place I’ve got my eye on?”

”Raise whatever you want,” Xu Huo said, a hint of resignation in his voice.

Emboldened by this ”support,” Wang Chao grew even more excited.

His last business venture was cut short mid-stream... no, that wasn’t right. It felt like the business was over before it even began.

But things were different now. He, Wang Chao, had learned from his countless mistakes and was sure he could make effective changes this time around!

The two first grabbed a bite to eat. By the time they finished, it was eight o’clock.

They waited for the streets to get livelier before heading out.

”So, which plot of land did you pick for your pig farm?”

Xu Huo flagged down a car, then turned his head to look at Wang Chao.

”On the outskirts of Linlan City, over by Zhang Family Town!”

Wang Chao said.

Zhang Family Town was a rural place. Years ago, it was slated for demolition. The relocation compensation had been paid out, but the land was never developed. As a result, Zhang Family Town became a ghost town, its grounds vast and empty.

A situation like this was truly rare.

”It couldn’t be more perfect for raising pigs!”

Watching the driver head toward Zhang Family Town, Chao Zi spoke smugly.

”I spent a long time carefully picking this place. The land is cheap, there are farmers nearby, and there’s a road for transportation.”

”Also, my uncles gave me a sum of money. They said they wanted to invest in me, so I wouldn’t have to go mooch off them.”

The way Chao Zi’s uncles looked at him these days was getting weirder and weirder.

No big deal, though. At least they gave him the money.

However, Xu Huo suddenly spoke up.

”Uncles? What’s the family relation?”

”It’s nothing, they’re cousins. My family’s huge, so the generational titles are a mess. My dad was born early; he and my uncle are cousins, but my dad’s thirty years older. It’s like a whole generation’s difference. So my uncle and I are basically the same age.”

”Yeah, I also have a thirteen-year-old aunt, and my grandma was just born a few years ago.”

”If I remember correctly, I even held my grandma when she was a baby! You could say I watched her grow up.”

Wang Chao said nonchalantly.

”Sometimes I see a relative and have no idea what to call them, so I just pick something. It’s fine, they don’t know what to call me either. No big deal.”

’This family tree...’

’What a mess!’

Xu Huo’s mouth twitched at his words. Honestly, he tried to make sense of it all.

But he just couldn’t wrap his head around the family logic that required Wang Chao, a man in his twenties, to kowtow to a baby and call her ”Grandma” during the holidays...

’Hmm, and when his grandma is seven or eight, she’ll probably have to hand out lucky money to a crowd of old folks...’

But he didn’t dwell on it for long.

”Forget it.”

”Just drive.”

...

...

At the same time, Chu Linhai and Zhang Jian were discussing some kind of strategic cooperation.

”How about this.”

”I’ll send someone over. They’ll wait until that kid is free and clear, when there’s nothing in Jiangsan City that can threaten him, and then both can come back.”

That evening, the more Chu Linhai thought about it, the more he felt he was getting the short end of the stick, so he contacted him again to state his demands.

”Hmm, and if a murder case comes up during that time, he should be able to get his hands dirty.”

’Sending his own man?’

Zhang Jian’s brows rose; he immediately understood the other man’s meaning.

”Heh, you old fox, trying to requisition my man to poach credit?”

Within the police force, there was a method known as ”requisitioning.”

Officially, it was called a ”collaboration of the strong.” For a specific case, police from two different regions would join forces, concentrate their manpower, and then investigate or arrest the perpetrator.

But in reality, it was just...

’I can’t get him, help me take him down!’

In short, it was what’s known as calling for outside help.

Special consultants, for example, were one type of outside help. When you hit a case you couldn’t crack, you went to a consultant. But how many truly capable consultants were there?

So, they often turned to the police in a neighboring city and had some talent transferred over.

It was akin to hiring help.

And since you were hiring help, if they were the ones to crack the case, you couldn’t just give them no credit at all.

In other words, this method was often a way to solve your own problem and avoid punishment, while giving the credit to the other party. It was considered a win-win.

”Heh, to put it bluntly, aren’t you the one getting the better deal!?”

Chu Linhai grumbled.

”You’re a tourist city. Just maintaining safety and order and solving whatever cases pop up counts as merit for you.”

”This struggling place of ours, how many cases do we get all year?”

”We have three whole divisions! How are a handful of cases supposed to turn someone into a top expert!?”

You think a good detective is made from armchair strategizing and mental deductions?

That’s complete bullshit!

You need cases.

Lots of new cases, major cases that are keeping up with the times!

You have to feed that stuff to a talented detective, constantly let them shadow the experts, adapt to their investigative mindset, learn how to handle a crime scene. That’s the only way they can improve.

Otherwise, a detective doing grunt work their whole life will never have the skills to solve a murder case.

But these days...

Throughout the year, for Murder cases that are officially filed and assigned to detectives, twelve or thirteen homicide cases is considered a lot.

How many divisions does Jiangsan City have?

Three whole divisions!

Three divisions, split evenly, means only four cases a year each. Factor in the roughly thirty percent solve rate, and the chances to earn merit are even slimmer...

”Alright, but if your guy curses me out, I’m not taking responsibility.”

Zhang Jian said with a laugh:

”Linlan City just had a major case, but the actual crime rate is very low. Plus, we have Wang Hu holding down the fort.”

”Now that the case is wrapping up, Linlan City is very quiet.”

”I reckon the chances of running into a case are lower here than staying in Jiangsan City.”

Indeed, that was a problem.

However...

”Have you seen a young man named Wang Chao?”

Chu Linhai suddenly seemed to think of something, changing the subject with words that left Zhang Jian baffled.

”Wang Chao who?” Zhang Jian frowned.

”You haven’t seen him?”

Chu Linhai frowned.

’He felt like he’d stumbled upon some objective, natural law, but it seemed that law was useless at the moment...’

”That name is way too common. There must be a thousand, or at least eight hundred, guys named Wang Chao in Linlan City.”

Zhang Jian sighed and shook his head.

”Fine. If you haven’t, you haven’t.”

Chu Linhai thought for a moment and didn’t get hung up on it.

’If a case pops up in Jiangsan City, I can just have him transferred back to solve it. Then, when a case comes up in Linlan City, he can be transferred over there again.’

’It’s a win either way. After all, the chances of cases breaking in both places at the same time are slim.’

”Okay, then let me give you one last piece of advice.”

Zhang Jian nodded, speaking casually into the phone.

”Linlan City is really quiet.”

...

...

”Seriously, Chao Zi, how in the hell did you find this godforsaken place!?”

”Can you even call this a road for people?”

「At the same time.」

On the outskirts of Linlan City, at the foot of a mountain, Xu Huo stared at the pothole-ridden road before him, an expression of existential doubt on his face.

Before him was a mountain.

There was no concrete road, and certainly no streetlights—only a few lonely utility poles with old wires strung between them.

And even for a dirt road...

This one was overgrown with weeds on both sides.

Stinging nettles crept from the sides of the path to its very center. One step and you’d be submerged up to your calves. Thank God he was wearing long pants; otherwise, Xu Huo would have felt like kicking Wang Chao to death.

Wang Chao replied, his face a mask of misery.

”It was cheap!”