NOVEL NEXT Chapter 475: Important Clue
Lin Fan stepped on the leader's head, pressing it into the ground. The man was so scared he wet himself, utterly humiliated.
It was embarrassing, but what could he do? Lin Fan was just too powerful. He didn't even have a chance to defend himself, and one wrong move could cost him his life at any moment.
"Go back and tell your boss that I will pay the money, but it can't be a high-interest loan. If he doesn't agree, he can come to me himself. If he doesn't, I'll come to find you. I know where you are. Now get out!"
Lin Fan said with a smile as he let go of his foot.
The leader of the thugs forced himself to endure the pain and quickly got up.
Then, with mutual support, the four thugs staggered away, utterly humiliated. It was a stark contrast to the mighty appearance they had when they arrived; now they appeared somewhat desolate.
They never would have dreamed of it—always the bullies, now they've hit a hard wall!
Even that girl was impressive, single-handedly taking down two of them. Not to mention Lin Fan, who was so strong he didn't even seem human!
The leader initially relied on his strength and physique, dismissing Lin Fan, but was quickly taught a lesson.
After sending off the four thugs, Lin Fan looked at the stunned Zheng Yang: "Teacher Zheng, they've left. Can we go inside now?"
Zheng Yang snapped back to reality and quickly responded, "Yes."
Having witnessed Lin Fan's skills, Zheng Yang felt a newfound respect.
He hurried to open the door, inviting Lin Fan and Loli inside.
The room was messy, clearly not having been tidied for a while, with only Zheng Yang living here—typical of a bachelor's room. The only trace of his past as a teacher was the pile of old books in the corner.
Zheng Yang was transferred out of Yun City fourteen years ago, a year after An Jincheng disappeared. He later stopped teaching, going into hiding under an alias.
Until later, when his father fell gravely ill, requiring an expensive surgery—300,000 yuan in total!
Zheng Yang, a poor educator, couldn't possibly raise that money. Knowing his situation, none of his relatives or friends were willing to lend him money. They all suddenly seemed to be short on cash themselves, and despite his pleas, he couldn't borrow a single dime.
With no other options, Zheng Yang borrowed money from an underground moneylender and finally secured the 300,000 yuan.
Unfortunately, the operation was done, but his father still didn't survive.
As Zheng Yang was busy with his father's funeral, the people from the underground moneylender began to track him down to collect the debt.
Without the money to pay back, he initially agreed to a monthly repayment. But when the moneylender discovered he couldn't repay, they demanded he repay the entire debt at once. That's when the nightmare began. With interest compounding on top of interest, the longer it dragged on, the more he had to repay. By now, it totaled 6 million yuan!
He couldn't even pay back the 300,000 yuan, let alone 6 million.
Zheng Yang tried several times to escape, attempting to flee the town and hide elsewhere, but each time he was caught, beaten up, and eventually gave up on fleeing. He started selling fruits in the town.
However, the pace at which he earned money was far too slow to keep up with the multiplying high-interest loans, leading to an ever-growing debt—an endless abyss of despair.
If Lin Fan hadn't intervened and if they came to collect the debt again, Zheng Yang wouldn't have considered living any longer. Life for him had become nothing but a desperate struggle.
This kind of story wasn't new—a high-interest loan that was impossible to repay, costing countless lives.
Yet, even knowing the danger, people still couldn't avoid borrowing from them. Sometimes, when money is truly needed, you can't think about anything else—just like Zheng Yang, who had no choice but to borrow from the moneylender to save his father's life.
Although the room was simple, Lin Fan and Loli didn't mind, casually finding a place to sit.
"Thank you for saving me just now," Zheng Yang said gratefully. At least this time he avoided a beating.
Lin Fan replied, "Don't worry, Teacher Zheng. I said I would help you settle your debt and I will see this through to the end. If you're worried, we can draw up an agreement. I'll take responsibility for your debt."
Zheng Yang suggested talking at home, suspecting he was anxious. So Lin Fan laid it out clearly.
Zheng Yang replied, "No need, I believe you."
He had witnessed Lin Fan's skills firsthand, and this evoked both awe and relief, bringing him peace of mind.
Lin Fan nodded, "Alright, Teacher Zheng, shall we get to the point then? Regarding An Jincheng's disappearance years ago, is there anything you haven't told us? According to your statement, you had a meal with him at a food stall a few days before he disappeared. You stated that he didn't say anything. Yet, according to your testimony, I noticed some inconsistencies, as if you were hiding something."
Zheng Yang didn't know Lin Fan possessed top-tier insight, and he looked at Lin Fan in astonishment. Lin Fan was amazing! He'd actually discovered something hidden within his testimony. What kind of ability was this?
Given how skillful Lin Fan was, Zheng Yang didn't dare lie anymore—for fear Lin Fan might notice!
He was relying on Lin Fan to help him with the loan sharks' issue and couldn't risk angering him with lies.
Gritting his teeth, Zheng Yang said, "That day when I ate with Jin City, we talked quite a lot. Jin City wasn't in a good mood at the time. I tried to console him and drank with him..."
Fifteen years ago, on that day, Zheng Yang and An Jincheng drank to lift their spirits, and during their chat, An Jincheng confided in Zheng Yang about a troubling matter he wasn't sure how to deal with.
Zheng Yang asked An Jincheng what it was.
An Jincheng told him that a friend was in trouble, and he could help resolve it, but for certain reasons, he didn't want to, leaving him indecisive.
Hearing this, Loli's eyes brightened, and she quickly asked, "Did he mention who this friend was or what the specific problem was?"
Zheng Yang shook his head, "No, I asked, but he didn't want to say more, so I didn't press him. I just offered some superficial comfort, knowing it wouldn't be of much help. A few days later, he just vanished."
Loli frowned, "Why didn't you mention such a crucial clue when you gave your statement back then?"
Zheng Yang blushed, lowering his head and avoiding Loli's gaze, "I... I was so scared at the time. I'm from a single-parent family, and my father had been ill for a long time. If I caused any trouble, there'd be no one to care for him, and I didn't think it had anything to do with his disappearance, so I didn't say it... Officer, is this really important?"
Loli and Lin Fan exchanged a glance, feeling speechless.
If Zheng Yang had provided this clue back then, the case might have already been solved.
Odds are, An Jincheng's disappearance was related to this problem and friend. What might the problem be, and who is this friend?