Chapter 398: Judge by Deeds, Not by Heart; By Heart, No One is Perfect

With his own power, he saved a wife, a son, and a mother!

This debt of gratitude—

It’s a debt greater than the heavens!

In the final moments of the video, the soaring flames from the explosion illuminated the dim daylight.

The power of the blast was comparable to a C4 bomb detonating. Even from the high-angle view, they could clearly sense the explosion’s immense power.

In other words, if Gu Heng had gotten out of the car just ten seconds later, it would have been certain death. There was absolutely no chance of survival.

Liang Du looked at the tear-streaked face of Qi Jiaseng, then at the silent Qi Guowei and Tang Jinghui. He stood quietly to the side, not wanting to disturb them, giving them ample time to compose themselves.

“Let’s hear it.”

“What’s the background of the heavy-duty truck driver?”

Qi Guowei took a deep breath, his expression suddenly becoming impassive.

“This was a premeditated act of revenge.”

Liang Du didn’t directly answer Qi Guowei’s question. Instead, he first stated the nature of the incident to Qi Guowei.

‘Revenge?’

Qi Guowei’s eyes narrowed slightly. Although he’d had this suspicion ever since the incident occurred, now that Liang Du had confirmed it, the fire that had been suppressed in his heart for so long instantly ignited.

“Go on.”

Qi Guowei said softly, his face devoid of expression.

“According to facial recognition analysis, the subject’s name is Ma Shuai, male, 42 years old. He was just released from prison last January after completing his sentence.”

At this point, Liang Du paused. “Director Qi, I wonder if you still remember the Major Smuggling Case 923, which you personally cracked twenty-three years ago?”

Liang Du looked at the imposing figure of Qi Guowei before him, his eyes shining with sincere admiration and respect, even a hint of worship.

“I remember.”

“How could I not?”

Qi Guowei said with some emotion, “That time, I took four bullets. I nearly died by that river.”

If Qi Guowei were to reflect on his entire career, the case that left the deepest impression on him would undoubtedly be the Major Smuggling Case 923 that Liang Du had just mentioned.

The anti-smuggling hero who took four bullets!

Throughout history, legitimacy has always been paramount in all matters.

This honor was instrumental in Qi Guowei’s rise to his current position.

“Do you remember the two men you shot and killed on the spot?”

Liang Du asked Qi Guowei again.

“I remember.”

“They were a father and son, I believe?”

“We had the scene under control, but then those two pulled out a couple of guns from somewhere. The father and son were exceptionally vicious.”

“It was pitch black back then, no lights out in the wilderness suburbs.”

“We exchanged a dozen or so shots, and then the two of them started to flee.”

“We were right near the border. I was afraid they’d escape across it, so I took a few men and gave chase. We maneuvered all night, and I nearly lost my life in those mountains.”

Qi Guowei remembered it very clearly. After speaking with a touch of emotion, he suddenly realized something. His brow furrowed slightly. “Are you saying…?”

“Yes.”

“This Ma Shuai is the younger son from that family—the family of the father and son you killed.”

“At the time, he was 19 and was smuggling alongside his father and older brother.”

“He was ultimately sentenced to life in prison for multiple offenses. Later, because of good behavior, his term was commuted from life to a fixed-term sentence. In the end, he spent a total of 22 years behind bars.”

Liang Du nodded, confirming Qi Guowei’s suspicion.

“So today, he was avenging his father and brother?”

Qi Guowei fell silent for a moment. He never thought that after 23 years, there would still be repercussions from that incident—repercussions that almost led to the deaths of his daughter-in-law and grandson.

“Back then, his entire family was involved in smuggling.”

“His mother and eldest sister had blood on their hands, so they were sentenced to death and executed immediately. His second-eldest sister, like him, received a life sentence, but she developed lung cancer in her 17th year of imprisonment and died the following year.”

Liang Du speculated, “He probably came out of prison, found himself all alone in the world with no one left to care about, and only then decided to plot his revenge.”

“Have you caught him?”

Qi Guowei didn’t discuss the old case any further. Back then, he was in the prime of his life, filled with righteous passion and a burning hatred for evil.

It didn’t matter that his wife, daughter-in-law, and grandson were now safe and sound. Even if they had truly perished in a sea of fire today because of this, he would not regret his actions from all those years ago in the slightest.

If he could go back in time, he would still choose to pull the trigger and send those two vicious thugs to their graves.

‘Afraid?’

‘Regret?’

‘If I were the type to be afraid or have regrets, I would have taken off this uniform long ago!’

“He’s already been caught.”

Liang Du replied in a low voice.

“He’s been caught.”

“Then handle it according to the law.”

After giving this light instruction, Qi Guowei’s tone suddenly shifted, his expression becoming somewhat profound. “Mayor Liang, in my experience, vicious thugs like this are usually tough, but their mouths are even tougher. Getting a confession out of him within 24 hours should be quite difficult, wouldn’t you say?”

“It will indeed be very difficult.”

Liang Du understood his meaning and replied impassively, “But rest assured, Director Qi, we are prepared to work for 48 hours without sleep if we have to. We will crack this tough nut and ensure he faces the full extent of the law!”

“Mm…”

“I have faith in you.”

“I’ll be waiting for your good news.”

Qi Guowei raised his hand and patted Liang Du’s shoulder.

“Yes, sir!”

Liang Du’s expression was grave.

Tang Jinghui and Qi Jiaseng stood beside Qi Guowei. Listening to the conversation between Qi Guowei and Liang Du, they both remained silent, offering no opinions.

After taking the tablet computer back from Qi Guowei, Liang Du tactfully excused himself from the window.

On the one hand, he was giving Qi Guowei and his family some space. On the other, he needed to hurry and delegate tasks. After all, he had just promised Director Qi that he would crack this tough nut within 48 hours.