Chapter 83 05

Chapter 83: 05

The break room on the seventh floor of the Municipal Bureau.

He Lin grabbed a packet of instant coffee, preparing to make it.

He didn’t turn on the light, relying on the hallway’s illumination as he pressed the water dispenser’s switch. He planned to drink the coffee black, setting the temperature to 65°C.

Outside the office, He Lin’s expression was no longer as relaxed as before; it had turned grave.

Suddenly, a stern voice came from behind him: “He Lin, what is Article 12 of the Public Security Discipline Code?”

Rong Qing had long held a key position at Tianning Base, exuding the authority of a leader. This question was also a tested subject on exams.

He Lin instantly straightened his posture and automatically recited: “Concealing or falsifying reports on major public security incidents, criminal cases, severe traffic accidents, mass incidents, or emergencies that should be reported will result in a demerit or major demerit sanction…”

His mouth moved faster than his brain, and after reciting it, he questioned why he had been so obedient.

Turning around, He Lin saw Li Shang standing behind him and tried to explain: “Hey, it’s not…”

Li Shang met his gaze directly and said, “I know that’s not what you meant, but what you’re planning to do is even more serious.”

He Lin fell silent.

“If you’re planning to shelve it, why send any messages at all?” Li Shang took a step forward, pressing him. “So, He Lin, are you planning to investigate this case alone from here on?”

He Lin looked at Li Shang, and soon the tension in his shoulders eased. He said softly, “Of course I’ll investigate. We’ve come this far; we can’t just give up halfway.” He took a calm sip of coffee. “It’s just that from now on, this will be my personal initiative.”

He paused to explain his reasoning: “I don’t know why, but I feel like investigating openly carries greater risks. I’m not saying there’s definitely a mole in the Municipal Bureau or anything, but I can’t shake the feeling that information might leak from somewhere. Like last time when we tried to catch Qian Daihao and his gang—if it weren’t for Lin Hui’s clever bait-and-switch tactic, you and Fang Jue would’ve been trapped.”

Li Shang’s voice remained as calm as ever: “But you can’t conduct an unauthorized investigation without filing proper documentation. If you uncover something and something goes wrong, it’ll give the other side an opportunity to deal with you.”

He Lin’s hand, holding the coffee, stilled. He hadn’t considered that. “You’re right. To be safe, I’ll brief Director Chen without making it sound too serious from the start.” He took another sip of coffee. “I trust Director Chen. It’s good to hear his opinion.”

Then he explained further: “Everyone else in the department has families to care for. There’s no need for me to drag you all into this mess.”

Li Shang’s tone allowed no argument or doubt: “Cases require two officers present. Share the materials with me; I’ll investigate with you.”

He Lin looked at Li Shang and thought, *Earlier, when he wasn’t feeling well, he seemed like a sick kitten, but now he’s being assertive.* Still, he shook his head and said, “No, it’s too dangerous…”

Li Shang was about to say more when the door of a nearby office suddenly moved. He turned alertly, and He Lin also averted his face.

They saw it was Wu Yunsheng who had come out. Li Shang turned and walked a few steps into the on-duty room on the other side to hide.

Wu Yunsheng had also come looking for He Lin. Seeing him in the break room, Old Wu approached and said, “Captain He, I’ve finished with the documents. I’ll head out now.”

He Lin nodded in agreement: “Alright.”

Wu Yunsheng took two steps, then turned back and took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket: “Want one?”

He Lin was tempted to accept but remembered what Li Shang had said at noon and restrained himself: “If you have something to say, just say it here.”

Wu Yunsheng then said, “Captain He, I’ve been thinking it over. That case… I was a bit worried at first, but if you still want to investigate, don’t leave me out.”

Old Wu, after all, was a veteran officer. After careful thought, he understood what He Lin was really up to.

He Lin raised his eyes to look at Wu Yunsheng, his tone less than friendly: “Suddenly changed your mind? The younger ones might not understand, but don’t you know the risks?”

Wu Yunsheng, under He Lin’s sharp gaze, replied somewhat uncomfortably: “It is a bit risky, but what if we crack it? If we win this gamble, it’ll be a merit, maybe even an increase to my pension.”

He Lin could tell he was trying to lighten the mood with a joke.

He Lin’s expression remained stern as he pointed out the flaw in Old Wu’s words: “I’m not planning to log this case in the department’s investigation system. Also, I thought I made myself clear earlier. Just go home.”

He Lin’s refusal was clear: if it was for rewards, there was no need to take such risks. Wu Yunsheng had been the first in the team to suggest backing out. The choice had been his, and He Lin had respected and understood it, approving his decision immediately.

Backing out was easy, but now that he’d changed his mind and wanted in, the choice fell to He Lin. If he wanted to participate, he’d have to prove his sincerity and commitment.

Old Wu looked at He Lin, his voice choking up slightly. As a seasoned detective with years of experience, he felt a lump in his throat, tears welling in his eyes.

“Captain He, you know I have a family. All these years, everything I’ve done has been for that family, for my child. That’s why I was afraid that investigating further would harm my family, harm my child. I hope you can understand a parent’s heart.”

Old Wu wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes, bowed slightly to He Lin, and continued: “But I’m not just a father; I’m also a police officer. I can’t stand by and watch so many children die innocently and do nothing. I keep thinking, what if this happened to my family, to my son? Those parents are powerless, but I’m not. I can seek justice for those children on their behalf. This isn’t just the resolve of a police officer; it’s the resolve of a father.”

As Wu Yunsheng spoke, tears rolled down his face. He wiped them away with his hand: “Captain He, you know I’ve backed down many times in my life. Backing down is easy, but I also want to step up for once. I don’t want to leave regrets in my career as a police officer, and I don’t want my child to think I’m a coward. Even if something happens, at least my child will know his father was a courageous and principled officer.”

Looking at the veteran officer who was also a father, He Lin set down his coffee, walked over, and patted Wu Yunsheng on the shoulder: “I believe you’re a good father, but as you said, this matter is dangerous. We all need to think it over carefully. For today, go home and be with your child. There’ll be plenty to do later.”

Just after seeing Wu Yunsheng off, He Lin was wondering whether to call Li Shang over to continue their conversation when he turned and saw Fang Jue rushing out of the office.

Fang Jue’s eyes had regained their usual spark, filled with determination. As soon as he saw He Lin, he poured out his thoughts rapidly: “Captain He, I figured it out! You were using reverse psychology earlier, weren’t you?!”

He Lin: “…”

He never expected Fang Jue to interpret it that way.

Fang Jue continued on his own: “Ah, I was sitting at my desk, getting angrier and angrier. Captain He, you’re not usually like this. How could you just drop it like that? Then it finally hit me—you must’ve said all that on purpose. You were trying to provoke us, to ignite our fighting spirit. I took it seriously, and you’ve riled me up!”

At this, Fang Jue lifted his head, looking expectant, as if waiting for praise: “Captain He, am I especially clever?”

He Lin nearly choked on his coffee, coughing lightly twice: “No, I really don’t want you involved in this case.”

Fang Jue: “…”

His brows furrowed, as if his brain had frozen by the answer.

Then he clenched his fists and said: “Captain He, I know you think I’m young, inconsistent, and likely to hold you back. I know I have many shortcomings. But Captain He, youth isn’t just a weakness; it’s also a strength. I have passion and drive, and I’m not afraid! I became a police officer to investigate cases. If we don’t investigate this, how can I believe in this uniform I wear?”

He Lin felt somewhat pleased at these words, but he still spoke sternly: “Since you know your shortcomings, you should understand why I don’t want you involved. This isn’t some detective game. Once it starts, there’s no turning back.”

Fang Jue said earnestly: “Captain He, I’m not treating this as a game.”

He Lin looked at his expression and felt that Fang Jue didn’t truly grasp what investigating this case might entail.

He said seriously: “Fang Jue, do you know how dangerous this case could be? Over twenty children and a kindergarten principal dead, plus a missing investigative journalist—that’s enough for several people to get the death penalty or life imprisonment. If you were them, what would you do if you found out someone was investigating this?”

Seeing Fang Jue staring at him in shock, He Lin showed no leniency toward the young man. Instead, he spelled out the grim reality word by word: “If Yu Jinghui hadn’t investigated the underlying events, he might not have disappeared. Don’t think being a police officer makes you invincible. You’re still human. If you disappear, you’ll just become another case file in the records room, and no one will find you. If something really happens, this uniform won’t save your life.”

Fang Jue rarely saw He Lin speak to him so harshly. For a moment, he glanced toward the records room nearby, his bold words caught in his throat, unable to utter a word.

He Lin waved him off: “Alright, go home.”

Fang Jue took a few steps, slowly heading toward the hallway.

He Lin had just breathed a sigh of relief when suddenly, another series of quick footsteps sounded.

Fang Jue had returned, his young face serious and earnest: “Captain He, I understand everything you said, and I know you’re responsible for my safety. But I still want to tell you what I think.”

Taking two steps forward, Fang Jue stood before He Lin, looking up at his equally young leader, and said solemnly: “Captain He, I’ve heard you came from the SWAT team. At my age, you were already carrying out missions independently in the SWAT team. I’m not you; I can’t handle such high-risk operations. But like you back then, I have the conviction and determination to do my job. Besides, you can’t protect me forever, and I shouldn’t rely on your protection. If I don’t experience these things while I’m young, as time passes and I grow older, I won’t be able to handle them. I was assigned to you right after I started working. If I don’t step up, others might laugh at me, but worse, they might laugh at you for not knowing how to train your team.”

He Lin had never realized before that Fang Jue, that kid, was such a smooth talker and even knew how to use his past experiences as an argument to persuade him.

Fang Jue usually acted laid-back, but in reality, He Lin had chosen him the moment he saw his resume—definitely not because his uniformed photo looked particularly good.

"If you dare embarrass me out there, I’ll be the first to come down on you. Now get lost, go home and get some rest. Don’t worry about things that aren’t your concern. You’ll have your chance to contribute. If you don’t perform well, I’ll transfer you to the community senior center anytime."

As soon as Fang Jue left, He Lin called out toward the door, "Xiao Cheng, how long have you been eavesdropping?"

Called out by name, Cheng Xiaoyi finally stepped out from behind the door. "Not too long. I heard all about your impressive deeds, Captain He. Pretty cool."

He Lin asked, "So why aren’t you heading home now? Did you come specifically to express your admiration for my impressive deeds? Thanks, message received. Head home."

Cheng Xiaoyi said seriously, "Captain He, I’ve been thinking about it as well. I’m different from them—I definitely wouldn’t joke about my own life. I just came to let you know I’ve sent out everything that needed to be sent."

The girl who had been so righteous during the meeting earlier now seemed to have thought things through.

But He Lin didn’t relax. He knew Cheng Xiaoyi well—usually quiet, but this girl had strong opinions of her own.

"However," Cheng Xiaoyi continued, taking a note from her bag and holding it between her fingers, "I phoned Yu Jinghui’s colleagues and cross-referenced his communication records. I found a phone number—this might be the turning point when Yu Jinghui started reinvestigating the kindergarten incident…"

This was a crucial lead in the case. He Lin’s gaze shifted, focusing on Cheng Xiaoyi’s hand.

Faced with Cheng Xiaoyi’s probing, He Lin responded indifferently with an "Oh," stirring the coffee in his cup without any intention of letting her continue.

Seeing He Lin’s lack of reaction, Cheng Xiaoyi made a show of putting the note back into her bag. "I’ve written everything else for you. Since the investigation is being dropped, this lead is useless anyway."

He Lin took a slow sip of his coffee. "You’re right. This lead isn’t that significant. It’s something Yu Jinghui had already uncovered back then. Why didn’t he reveal the truth?"

Cheng Xiaoyi was taken aback by his question.

"This is just one piece of the digital puzzle. Either there wasn’t enough evidence, or there were other issues." He Lin’s gaze sharpened. "The core of this case should be tracking down the source of the poison and the mastermind behind it. Investigating that would be far more dangerous and difficult than what you’ve uncovered so far. Thank you for your effort, but I won’t be reviewing your materials. This case doesn’t need to be investigated further. Clock out early—it’s not safe for a girl to be out too late."

Cheng Xiaoyi hadn’t expected her prepared bargaining chip to become worthless so quickly. Now it was her turn to grow anxious.

She pressed, "Captain He, I can investigate those things too. Just tell me the direction to take… There’s no one else here now. I’m different from them—I’ve signed the confidentiality agreement, and I’m very tight-lipped."

Seeing that He Lin remained silent, she simply sat down in the chair across from him.

"I hardly ever go out on field assignments. Even if someone wanted to cause trouble, they wouldn’t come to me. You can’t just investigate with only Li Shang, can you? Technical support is still important."

He Lin didn’t answer her. Instead, he turned and called out toward the hallway, "Li Shang, you come out too. If you have something to say, say it quickly."

Li Shang must have heard the entire conversation.

Called out by He Lin, Li Shang emerged from the duty room. He crossed his arms and leaned against the cabinet in the break room. "He Lin, since danger is inevitable, we all want to stand by you. You can’t protect everyone while standing in the midst of danger. If you really want what’s best for everyone, we should unite and solve the problem as soon as possible. Only by entrusting your back to someone trustworthy can you better face the challenges ahead."

He Lin frowned, looking at him.

Li Shang stood there, backlit by the hallway light—a slender figure, pale yet proud.

The words didn’t sound like something he would say, yet they had indeed come from his mouth. Still, they sounded strangely familiar.

Then Li Shang lowered his gaze and analyzed carefully, "I think we should look at it this way. This case has only three states: the state before investigation, the state during investigation, and the state after the truth is revealed."

"Among these three states, only the state during investigation is dangerous and unpredictable. We may encounter many obstacles and variables."

"My意思是, we are already past the pre-investigation state and have likely attracted the other side’s attention. Therefore, we must greatly shorten the investigation phase, bring everything to light as quickly as possible, and make everything public. Only then will we be safe."

At this point, Li Shang pressed two fingers onto the table. "Also, when Yu Jinghui was investigating this back then, he must have triggered something. We have to be careful to avoid it."

Then Li Shang looked at He Lin. "Captain He, let’s give it our all."

Rong Qing thought to himself: *As long as you want to investigate, I’ll back you up.*

He Lin seemed to read something in Li Shang’s gaze.

He downed the rest of his coffee, grabbed the note Cheng Xiaoyi had left on the table, stood up, and said, "I’ll talk with Director Chen tomorrow to discuss how to proceed with this investigation."

.

After leaving the office that evening, He Lin first went to the fast-food restaurant next to the municipal bureau to grab a quick meal. After eating, he got into his car but didn’t hurry home.

Instead, He Lin directly called Director Chen, saying he had something to discuss and wanted to talk at his home.

Director Chen was a bit surprised. "Oh? What is it, so late at night?"

He Lin said, "Work-related. It’s not convenient to talk at the bureau."

Director Chen processed this and knew that if He Lin put it that way, it must be something serious.

The old man immediately said, "Alright, I understand. Come over at nine tonight. My wife and kids will be out for a walk then, so no one else will be home. It’ll be convenient to talk."

He Lin thought about it and decided he couldn’t show up empty-handed at his superior’s home. He went to the fruit stand next door to buy some fruit, then stopped by a tobacco and liquor store to pick up two cartons of cigarettes—the kind Director Chen smoked, not too expensive but decent.

After finishing these errands, He Lin placed the items in the back seat of his car. Just as he was about to rest in the car for a while, the passenger side window was suddenly tapped by a hand. The hand had long, distinct fingers, knuckles pronounced—it looked familiar.

He Lin glanced sideways and saw Li Shang standing outside the car.

He quickly unlocked the door. Li Shang opened it and got in, bringing with him the unique chill of an autumn night.

He Lin checked his watch. It was just past eight—only an hour since they’d left work, yet it felt like much longer had passed.

He Lin frowned, looking at Li Shang, whose ears were slightly red from the cold. "Why aren’t you resting at home after work? What are you doing wandering around at night?"

Li Shang was as calm as ever. "Waiting for you. To go to Director Chen’s place together."

He Lin looked at him, his expression complex.

He was worried about Li Shang’s safety, and even more concerned about his health. But he knew Li Shang was stubborn—he had his own judgments and his own way of doing things. Trying to persuade him wouldn’t work, stopping him was impossible, and asking too many questions would come off as doubting him.

After all that thought, He Lin only managed to ask one thing: "Have you had dinner?"

Li Shang replied lightly, "Yes." Seeing He Lin’s doubtful look, he added, "While you were at the fast-food place, I bought something to eat across the street. Then I went back to my place."

He Lin was taken aback—he hadn’t noticed Li Shang at all in the fast-food restaurant.

But then he realized: when Li Shang went somewhere, he naturally chose the optimal position, one where he could oversee everything. It was hard for others to find him.

Li Shang, afraid He Lin would overthink it, explained, "I wasn’t deliberately following you. It’s just that when you’re dealing with something tough, you eat at certain places and park in certain spots—it’s a natural habit. I guessed you’d be here, so I waited."

He knew He Lin all too well.

If He Lin had urgent business to attend to, he would go to that chain fast-food restaurant—a habit he’d had for years.

Li Shang even knew exactly what He Lin would order.

He also knew that after their conversation in the office today, He Lin wouldn’t wait until tomorrow to report to Director Chen—that was just an excuse to placate his subordinates. Back at the base, He Lin had often knocked on his door in the middle of the night under the pretext of work.

Having the leader’s approval was a key move on the chessboard. He Lin had to straighten this out before he could proceed with the next phase of the investigation.

He Lin said frankly, "I’ve arranged to meet Director Chen at nine tonight."

It was 8:25 p.m. Accounting for the fifteen-minute drive, they still had about twenty minutes left.

Li Shang asked him again, "Have you called that number yet?"

Although He Lin had said as much to Cheng Xiaoyi in person, he had clearly done so intentionally. Pinpointing when and why Yu Jinghui's change occurred was crucial for them.

"Not yet," He Lin replied cautiously. "I’m afraid calling hastily might jeopardize the lead."

"Make the call, and do it quickly. This lead should be worth pursuing. We still don’t know why Yu Jinghui went to the archives or what he was researching there." As he spoke, Li Shang produced a phone and handed it to He Lin. "Use this one."

He Lin was taken aback but hesitated before accepting it. He immediately recognized it: "This is from the Base…"

Li Shang said, "A Mission Machine."

"Mission Machine" was the term used at Tianning Base, referring to phones used for special operations.

The SIM card, phone number, and model were all custom-issued. Such phones were untraceable, and they couldn't trace back to the owner.

The SIM cards were changed out for each operation, and some models were specifically designated for overseas missions.

Under normal circumstances, Mission Machines were issued with the task. Ordinary team members had to return them upon completing their missions, and even regular team captains were not allowed to take them out of the Base when leaving.

He Lin hadn’t expected Li Shang to have one of these, much less to let him use it.

Hesitating, He Lin still felt the need to confirm, "This doesn’t violate any regulations, does it?" The Base’s rules and regulations were second nature to him.

Li Shang leaned back in his seat, watching the streets outside the car window. "Don’t worry, it’s been reported. I won’t get you into trouble."

He Lin breathed a sigh of relief but still retorted stubbornly, "What am I afraid of? I’m not even part of Tianning anymore. I’m just worried about causing trouble for you. Isn’t your file still registered there?" As he spoke, he dialed the number from the note.

He casually pressed the record and speakerphone buttons.

Li Shang habitually continued observing outside the car while keeping an ear out for whether the call would connect.

He Lin mentally prepared for the possibility that the number had been disconnected or that no one would answer. To his surprise, after a few rings, the call went through quite smoothly.

A man answered on the other end, his voice low and deep coming through the phone: "Hello?"