"I said, 'Brother, if it's money you want, I have it. There's two hundred thousand in the trunk. Take it. I won't call the police.' He said, 'Drop the act, Hu Yang. We've met. I followed you from your residential complex, just like I followed your father-in-law back then. Once I kill you, I'll disappear for good.'"
"He said, 'You know what? This is the very gun I used to kill your father-in-law.'"
"I thought I had to stall, had to find an opening."
"I said, 'I don't believe you. You're bluffing. That case is unsolved. Anyone could claim they did it.'"
"I was gambling. Gambling on his youth, on his pride. People who made their way through violence couldn't stand being looked down on."
"Sure enough, he took the bait."
"He said, 'You don't believe me? Fine. Your father-in-law got to the bathhouse at four forty that morning. He soaked for half an hour, then came here for sheep's head, a bowl of mutton soup, and a sesame flatbread. He read the Gucheng Evening News while he ate. Afterward, he went to the teahouse by the park's west gate, ordered a pot of tea, and lay down to sleep. Once he'd been asleep a while, I walked over, called his name, and shot him.'"
Hu Yang stopped.
Wang Xiaoliang didn't dare make a sound.
Only after a long while did Hu Yang continue.
"Only the police and our family knew those details. They'd never been printed in the papers."
"In that moment, I was certain. He was the one who killed my dad. My blood surged. I thought, even if I died that day, I had to avenge him."
"I asked him, 'Why did you want to kill my dad and me? Your brother put you up to it,