Insights Chapter 102: “Dream Master”

Chapter 102: “Dream Master”

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Over the next three days, Shen Junci made time to visit Gu Yanchen every day, either in the afternoon or after work in the evenings. By Friday, he took half a day off, cooked a pot of chicken soup, and brought it to Gu Yanchen in a thermos. Seeing this, Yu Shen immediately prepared to leave.

Gu Yanchen said, “Don’t go to smoke. You have the day off today, so just go home. You can come back as usual tomorrow morning.”

Yu Shen acknowledged and understood, quickly grabbing his things and leaving.

Shen Junci poured out the carefully prepared chicken soup from the thermos. As soon as it was poured out, the room was filled with the aroma of chicken soup. Shen Junci, who hadn’t cooked in years, also cleaned up the kitchen for Gu Yanchen. He bought a two-year-old hen, removed the chicken fat after boiling, and stewed it for three hours.

The soup was golden in color and exceptionally flavorful.

Gu Yanchen was already able to walk, and although he still needed daily dressing changes, he was much better than the first two days, looking healthier.

Just as he was about to sit up and drink the soup, Shen Junci said, “Let me feed you.”

Since Shen Junci was taking the initiative, Gu Yanchen leaned against the bedside. Shen Junci held the bowl in one hand and a small porcelain spoon in the other, slowly feeding him. The thermos had excellent insulation, so the soup was still hot.

As Gu Yanchen watched him lower his head and gently blow on the spoon before offering it to him, he took a sip and praised, “The chicken soup you made is really delicious.”

As Shen Junci fed him, he also updated Gu Yanchen on the recent developments. “This case is quite big. Several departments are jointly investigating, Director Ding is personally leading the arrest, and city leaders are inquiring about it. Bai Meng and Lu Ying have also been called in to help.”

The case involving the Penang Love Foundation involved a staggering amount, and the numbers found in the accounts were shocking.

“Professor Pang and the manager have confessed quite a bit. Based on their statements and the information retrieved, hundreds of suspected murders of elderly people have been gradually uncovered. The most prolific perpetrator has killed six people.”

The investigation had been ongoing for several years, and Gu Yanchen had expected the number of cases involved to be substantial, but hearing this number still surprised him. “So many?”

Shen Junci explained, “Some of them died alone at home, and their corpses were found in an advanced state of decomposition, missing the best time for examination.”

Many of the cases were treated as natural deaths or accidents by the local police stations. Because they were elderly and living alone, many of them were not filed as cases, and there was no proper investigation. If it weren’t for the contracts being discovered, no one would have thought of murder.

Shen Junci continued, “Han Qingyi is being held separately. He’s tight-lipped, probably planning to have the people behind the foundation protect him.”

Gu Yanchen then asked Shen Junci, “Do you know about the Hetu Trading Association?”

Shen Junci hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly. “Han Qingyi is from the Hetu Trading Association.”

Gu Yanchen understood. Shen Junci had hinted at the existence of the planner to him before.

Shen Junci’s arrival in Penang wasn’t coincidental. Putting together Shen Junci’s relationship with Lin Luo, Gu Yanchen realized that Shen Junci probably knew more about it than he did.

Bringing up this topic, Gu Yanchen asked, “What about the Dream Master?”

That was his main concern.

Shen Junci’s hand paused. “There’s no clear information yet. Han Qingyi won’t say. The other implicated individuals claim not to know the Dream Master’s true identity.”

He had kept the question about the Dream Master until the end, wanting to bring some good news first to avoid worrying Gu Yanchen.

Gu Yanchen fell silent.

Shen Junci continued to feed him, “Focus on recovering from your injury first. Director Ding said they will apply for a reward for you.”

Gu Yanchen sighed. He didn’t care about rewards; he cared about whether they could bring those bad people to justice, whether the people in the city were safe, and most importantly, about the person in front of him.

Drinking soup like this was too slow. He took the bowl from Shen Junci’s hand. “I’m much better now. I’ll drink the soup myself. That spoon is too small, and it’s not satisfying to drink with it.”

Shen Junci felt the chicken soup wasn’t too hot anymore, so he handed it to him. Gu Yanchen drank a few mouthfuls and said, “It’s really delicious.”

“Next time, I’ll make it for you again,” Shen Junci said as he tidied up. “I feel like the interrogation at the detective branch isn’t effective. They haven’t obtained key information and clues, and they can’t pin down Han Qingyi. It’s difficult to find the Dream Master.”

Different cases in the hands of different people meant different investigation methods, and the speed of solving the case was closely related to the detectives in charge. Although it seemed like they had made significant progress in this case and arrested Han Qingyi, the mastermind behind it, the Dream Master, remained elusive.

When Shen Junci came over today, he brought some papers, pens, and case files. These were what Gu Yanchen had asked him to bring when he left yesterday. After finishing the chicken soup, Gu Yanchen sat cross-legged on the bed, deeply focused as he went through the witness testimonies and studied the case. He frowned. “Indeed, many details were overlooked.”

If this case were assigned to him, he was sure he could extract more information.

After reviewing the recent files, Gu Yanchen said, “Based on the information the police currently have, we already know a lot. In these cases, the Dream Master isn’t the direct perpetrator, but the police are indirectly confronting him. However, this information lacks analysis and summary.”

Shen Junci asked him, “Captain Gu, from a detective’s perspective, do you think there’s any method now that could help the police find the Dream Master?”

Gu Yanchen twirled the pen in his hand. “The police don’t have direct clues about the Dream Master, but I believe we can use the existing information to preliminarily profile the Dream Master’s criminal characteristics.”

This involved inferential reasoning based on various disciplines such as psychology, sociology, and criminology, which could assist investigations by characterizing the offender’s traits.

Gu Yanchen marked Hetu Trading Association, the cleaning company, and the foundation with different symbols on a map. These were the backgrounds currently involved in the case. Understanding them comprehensively would facilitate estimating the overall situation.

“Now, based on the testimonies of several witnesses, we can ascertain some of the Dream Master’s inherent characteristics.” He circled each point mentioned in the case files, “According to Zhao Meng’an’s description, the individual is male, about 1.78 meters tall, over thirty years old, appears understanding, cautious in his actions, speaks elegantly, and is skilled at playing games. Other descriptions mostly match these points. He is an ordinary-looking man who doesn’t leave a strong impression on first meetings but quickly gains people’s favor after communication. He enjoys listening to people’s conversations, quickly grasps the key points, and probes into people’s minds through questioning and guidance.” Gu Yanchen continued, “We can also infer many things based on the conditions and motivations for the crime. The Dream Master is different from other planners we encountered before. From what we know about Ding Yueran and the other planners he mentioned, they seem to be protected due to their special professions. However, the Dream Master operates outside and even takes personal action in many situations, such as inducing Zhao Meng’an in the case of Jin Yuewen.

“Other planners, although intelligent, are more reserved. They hide their malicious intentions and are unlikely to make friends with ordinary people. But the Dream Master is different; he moves around the city, appearing in various places. He primarily uses people’s psychological dark sides to his advantage.”

Listening intently, Shen Junci nodded repeatedly.

Gu Yanchen listed one point after another, “From the archives, the foundation’s increased inheritance started four years ago. Considering the time for preparatory planning, it means the Dream Master met Han Qingyi five years ago. From the timing of the Dream Master’s appearance, it’s evident that he has plenty of personal time. He arranged his ‘chance encounter’ with Zhao Meng’an, appearing at the internet cafe near the school gate in the afternoon. He often answers questions for Professor Pang’s group at night.” 

Shen Junci enjoyed listening to Gu Yanchen’s analysis. Every time Gu Yanchen spoke, he focused his attention on him. In Shen Junci’s mind, the image of the Dream Master began to take shape. He was a man who appeared friendly on the surface but harbored dark and terrifying intentions within. Shen Junci attempted to summarize, “According to your analysis, he may have a job that allows him to interact with people from various professions, giving him enough time to observe and control them.”

Gu Yanchen nodded. “He’s familiar with Han Qingyi, and they share many common topics. That’s how they may have gradually completed their plans.”

Gu Yanchen and Shen Junci analyzed together, and their dialogue sparked insights and supplemented each other’s perspectives.

Gu Yanchen suddenly had an idea. “Although Han Qingyi and Zhao Meng’an are completely different people, they both developed a favorable impression of the Dream Master and relied on him, believing each other to be kindred spirits and readily following the Dream Master’s advice. This may be related to his profession or surface image. Some people, when appearing as scholars, mentors, or teachers, may easily gain others’ trust without realizing it.”

After pondering for a moment, Shen Junci’s mental image of the Dream Master became clearer. “Indeed, thinking of these plans, it seems the Dream Master has received good education.”

Gu Yanchen added, “For example, scholars, financiers, statisticians, staff from the prosecutor’s office and courts, legal affairs personnel, notary staff, media personnel, psychologists, and journalists…”

These were all trustworthy professions adept at guiding and lecturing.

Shen Junci added, “Lawyers, too.”

Gu Yanchen’s eyes lit up in agreement. “If the Dream Master is a lawyer, he could interact with those people, be familiar with inheritance law, and know how to manipulate it.”

That afternoon, in the small hospital room, Gu Yanchen and Shen Junci brainstormed together. They drew many conclusions from their analysis, many of which had been hiding in plain sight. They analyzed the puzzle with existing clues and made bold assumptions.

Next, they needed to further investigate to eliminate the wrong options. Gu Yanchen felt they were getting closer and closer to the Dream Master…

Shen Junci ordered takeout. After eating quickly, he finished and said, “Captain Gu, I’ll come to see you again tomorrow.”

Gu Yanchen sighed, “I want to get out of the hospital soon. This recovery process is too boring.”

Lu Ying happened to come to change shifts. Upon entering, he heard Gu Yanchen’s words and quickly agreed, “Yeah, Captain Gu, you have no idea, everyone in the department wants you back.”

Shen Junci saw Lu Ying had arrived, waved to Gu Yanchen, said goodbye to Lu Ying, and left with the thermos. Seeing the food still on the table, Lu Ying realized Gu Yanchen hadn’t finished eating. He didn’t mind and sat down, ready to take a few bites, Gu Yanchen asked, “You haven’t had dinner yet? Should I order more for you?”

Lu Ying replied, “I haven’t. Don’t bother; it would be a waste. The lawyer applied for a meeting the day before yesterday. Now, the forty-eight hours are almost up, and Xing’s team has approved the meeting. I took him to see Han Qingyi this afternoon.”

This was within the bounds of legal regulations. When a suspect requests to meet with their lawyer, they have the right to do so.

Gu Yanchen suggested, “At this point, it’s better to delay the meeting citing obstruction of investigation.”

This was a special procedure in public security. When a meeting with a lawyer might destroy forged evidence, lead to self-harm by the suspect, or obstruct the investigation, the public security organ could reject the meeting application.

“Maybe they’ve found someone. Director Ding didn’t stop it, and besides, it’s Lawyer He, whom everyone knows. So, people are relatively at ease,” Lu Ying explained. “Speaking of which, I didn’t know Lawyer He had a daughter. When I took him in, a photo fell out of his folder. I picked it up for him, and he said it was a picture of his daughter. It must have accidentally slipped in.”

Gu Yanchen’s eyebrows furrowed. “Who did you say?”

Lu Ying was taken aback by the question. “Lawyer He, He Wenlin. You know him too.”

Gu Yanchen did know him. They had met during his years at the logistics department. One day, he had approached him for a chat while smoking outside the City Bureau. They gradually became acquainted.

Lawyer He was from the Penang Law Firm, the largest law firm that interfaced with the City Bureau. Many people in the City Bureau knew him, and their impression of him was quite good.

Gu Yanchen recalled their meeting. Gu Yanchen recognized Lawyer He as a seemingly kind and attentive person, who could converse without making others uncomfortable. He often handled controversial cases for wealthy clients and had some dealings with the Hetu Trading Association.

Gu Yanchen’s right eye twitched involuntarily. Combined with the profile he and Shen Junci had created earlier, he suddenly realized that He Wenlin’s suspicion was significant. Moreover, recalling the image reconstructed based on Zhao Meng’an’s description, there were some resemblances. He also recalled the first case received by the Special Criminal Division upon its establishment. In that case, Zhong Zhichun had taken advantage of Fang Zhengrong’s desire to amend his will.

Gu Yanchen had questioned Zhong Zhichun at the time and had always felt that there were unresolved doubts in the case. Now, he understood in an instant that what was missing was a lawyer knowledgeable about inheritance law. Fang Zhengrong, Fang Jialiang, Zhong Zhichun, Lan Jie, a will, and a lawyer could easily sow discord among these people.

He Wenlin’s home was not far from the university town. When he didn’t have work, he could easily go there and guide Zhao Meng’an. As a lawyer, he could provide advice to Han Qingyi, helping him create contract templates to avoid inspections.

Gu Yanchen suddenly saw everything clearly. The Dream Master was like the serpent offering the fruit of wisdom to Eve, tempting people to commit sins. Whether rich or poor, everyone was manipulated by him. And this serpent had long been lurking around them, appearing at City Bureau under the guise of legitimacy, even among them.

As he pieced everything together, Gu Yanchen became increasingly convinced. He voiced his conclusion outright, “He Wenlin may be the Dream Master!”

Lu Ying dropped his chopsticks in shock. “If he has seen Han Qingyi, then…”

Gu Yanchen grabbed his phone. He needed to inform the City Bureau of this possibility immediately. Before Gu Yanchen could dial, Shen Junci’s call came in unexpectedly. He answered hastily.

There was silence on the other end, then the call ended after a few seconds.

A scene from five years ago suddenly flashed through Gu Yanchen’s mind. He quickly got out of bed, ignoring the pain from his wound, and steadied himself against the bedside.

Lu Ying asked urgently, “Captain Gu, what’s wrong?”

“Shen Junci is in trouble,” Gu Yanchen forced himself to calm down. He put on a black coat over his patient gown. “We need to go to the City Bureau.”