Chapter 16

The first round of questioning wrapped up around 4 a.m.

Since Zhao Xiuzhen was currently the most valuable subject for questioning, Zhao Yang and the others kept the pressure on her. However, the moment her daughter was mentioned, the woman clammed up tight. When the detectives asked her to call her daughter on the spot, Wang Tianxiao didn’t answer. This made Yan Jianbai and the others realize that Zhao Xiuzhen’s family might have already gotten their alibis straight in advance. Fortunately, gathering information about "A Feng" and Zhao Lanyue’s school days wouldn’t be too difficult—the investigative team had already arranged for officers to visit former students and teachers the next day.

Zhao Yang slumped into a chair in the Criminal Investigation Division’s meeting room, too exhausted to sit up straight. By the end of the interrogation, all three of them were frustrated, their white shirtsleeves rolled up to their elbows. Zhao Yang hugged his shoulders, tilting his head back with his mouth open, about to pass out. In the other two corners of the room, Yu Mei and Song Yuli were in similarly exhausted states.

Interrogation was a real art—the method, sequence, logic, pacing, and even the mix of truth and deception had to be constantly adjusted based on the suspect’s reactions. Song Yuli led the questioning, with Zhao Yang and Yu Mei assisting. Yan Jianbai had chosen this trio precisely because their good cop/bad cop dynamic made them the perfect team to handle Zhao Xiuzhen.

Xia Qing had stepped out to take a call, while Xu Changying pulled up a chair beside Zhao Yang and handed him a towel. “Wipe your face.”

Zhao Yang took the towel and scrubbed his face roughly, waking himself up a little. Qi Feng then handed him a cup of water. “Here you go, Officer Zhao.”

Yu Mei watched Zhao Yang with envy and teased, “How come no one’s taking care of me?”

Qi Feng immediately straightened up, snatched the thermos, and rushed over. “Sis Mei, I’ve got you. Here’s some tea.”

Tan Song also stood up, following Qi Feng’s lead to pour water and pass towels.

Yu Mei cracked up, chin in hand, her striking features full of curiosity. “I heard from Brother Fang and the others that the three of you knew each other since childhood. Is that true?”

Qi Feng nodded vigorously. “Of course it’s true! We’ve known each other forever—like brothers. But then Big Bro Zhangying suddenly went abroad. Luckily, we reconnected later. Isn’t that wild, right, Sis Mei?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Qing walked back in after his call. Xu Changying turned to him, smiling and waving him over. Xia Qing pulled up a chair and sat down beside him.

Qi Feng, who had been about to embellish the story further, opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say when he saw Xia Qing.

It was weird—who could’ve imagined back then that even the closest group of friends could end up like strangers sitting together?

Yu Mei tilted her head and asked, “Officer Xu, so you’re a local too? Did you study abroad for university?”

Xu Changying smiled. “I grew up here. I started university in China but didn’t finish. After going abroad, I enrolled at the AGB Police Academy—I guess you could call it a police training academy?”

Yu Mei looked surprised. “You didn’t finish? That’s such a shame. Why?”

Xu Changying shrugged, his tone light. “Nothing major. I just suddenly got sick. I wasn’t in a good state back then—young and didn’t know any better.”

Tan Song suddenly spoke up. “Was that when you lost contact with Qi Feng and the others?”

Xu Changying nodded at his fellow officer with a smile. “Yeah. So when we reunited, I was really surprised. Never expected all my old friends to end up in the same profession.”

By now, Song Yuli’s impression of Xu Changying had completely changed. He looked up and added, “That really is fate.”

Qi Feng threw an arm around Zhao Yang’s neck, grinning. “Right, right? So back then, when we told you to pick the police academy, you refused, yelling that you’d rather die than be a cop.”

Xu Changying chuckled. “I never thought Zhao Yang would end up being the one who’d actually make detective. After so many years apart, you were so cool in the monitoring room earlier—I almost forgot about your bleach-blond days.”

Zhao Yang’s face flushed, and he grumbled, “That was ages ago. I don’t even remember it.”

Xu Changying turned to look at Xia Qing, who sat quietly beside him, listening, completely unaware that he, too, had once been part of those youthful days.

His chest tightened, but he quickly played it off, pretending nothing was wrong.

Qi Feng shook Zhao Yang. “If you’ve got anyone to thank for where you are today, it’s me. If I hadn’t kept up the shrine with you for three years, you wouldn’t be sitting here.”

Xu Changying frowned in confusion. “What shrine? Were you asking the gods for cash?”

The moment the words left his mouth, Zhao Yang’s expression darkened. He scowled. “If only it were for money. I’d have gone into business instead.”

Xu Zhangying was completely lost. He turned to Qi Feng, who raised a finger and said, "Oh right, we haven’t told you yet, Ying. You know the police academy assigns jobs after graduation, but the location is uncertain. So Zhao Yang had to take the civil service exam to get into the municipal bureau—took him three damn years!"

Xu Zhangying was shocked. "Three damn years?! Why?"

"Why?" Zhao Yang suddenly lifted his head, exasperated. "The year I graduated, the college grad job market went to hell. Back when I was cramming for retakes, you all took turns tutoring me. Finally got into a first-tier university, and they said the police academy guaranteed job assignments—only to find out it was some urban township—"

"—Urban township, actually," Qi Feng corrected with a smile.

Zhao Yang fumed, "What’s the difference?! Don’t interrupt me—good positions still required exams. Damn it, four thousand people competing for one municipal bureau spot! First a written test, then an interview, even an English speech! This asshole Qi Feng was always second-to-last in high school while I was dead last. She studied for two months and got in through a special admission program—her whole study career boiled down to two months! I’ve read more books than her! She said she couldn’t help me study, so she hauled my ass up Mount Tai in Shandong to pray instead—"

"Confucius’ family temple is in Qufu," Xia Qing suddenly interjected, his voice icy and matter-of-fact.

Zhao Yang shot him a glare, fuming. "Of course, we’re not as smart as you top students. Only after climbing did someone tell us Confucius wasn’t from Mount Tai, so us two dumbasses had to take a bus to Qufu..."

Xu Zhangying listened with wide-eyed fascination, grinning. "So? Did it work?"

"Bro! Three damn years! If it worked, why would I need three damn years?!" Zhao Yang snapped.

Xu Zhangying chuckled awkwardly. "Ah, right. Guess Confucius' hotline was down—took three years to connect."

Qi Feng propped her head up with a hand and wagged a finger. "No, no, we only prayed to Confucius once!"

Tan Song, who had been giving Qi Feng the side-eye, couldn’t help but ask, "Then what did you pray to next?"

Zhao Yang took a deep breath. "The second year, Qi Feng said Confucius was for scholars, not police exams, so we needed a deity who actually handles cop stuff. We went to Fujian to pray to Lord Guan."

Xu Zhangying clapped his hands. "Makes sense! Even gods have their specialties. Wait—" He frowned. "Why didn’t that work either?"

Qi Feng smiled faintly. "The Fujianese have the gods on speed dial, so they could negotiate business. An old man there had Yangzi throw moon blocks. One yin, one yang meant Lord Guan approved. Yangzi’s first throw was double yin—we turned to leave, but the guy grabbed us and said their Lord Guan was more lenient, so we could try again. Nine more throws, all one yin, one yang. The old man called it 'pretty much a sure thing.'"

Xu Zhangying rubbed his face cautiously. "And then… you lost by a hair?"

Zhao Yang scoffed. "No. I ranked third in the written exam. On the last day of the announcement period, some guy checked his score and said it was miscalculated—he took first place and knocked me out of the running."

The office fell into an awkward silence. Song Yuli, sitting nearby, massaged his temples. "You’re relentless. My brother-in-law took our bureau’s exam once and quit."

Xu Zhangying patted Zhao Yang’s shoulder sympathetically. "At least your ordeal’s over. You made it. So, what did you pray to the third year?"

Zhao Yang and Qi Feng suddenly went quiet.

"Huh?" Xu Zhangying looked between them. "Why stop now?"

Qi Feng scratched her head. "The third year… we went to a way-off-the-beaten-path temple..."

Xu Zhangying: "Why an off-the-beaten-path one? Was it more effective than the first two?"

Qi Feng suddenly slung an arm around Zhao Yang’s neck, laughing awkwardly. "Haha, yeah, super obscure. Someone recommended it. Said we couldn’t talk about it after it worked, right, Yangzi?"

Zhao Yang lowered his head. "Right. They said there were special rules."

Xu Zhangying took in their shifty, weird looks and wondered—did these two nutjobs get mixed up in some cult and were too embarrassed to admit it?

Just as he was about to ask more, Shao Qiaoqiao’s cheerful voice rang from the doorway: "Iced tea delivery! Refreshing and energizing!"

Everyone looked up to see Shao Qiaoqiao rushing in with a tray. Yu Mei said, "Qiaoqiao, you’re back already? Why not rest instead of returning to the bureau?"

Shao Qiaoqiao grinned. While no knockout, she was warm and sweet. She poured tea into paper cups for everyone. "This case is moving at lightning speed—how could I slack off? Being the tea girl is just fine!"

Song Yuli took his cup and asked, "When will Team Two wrap up?"

Shao Qiaoqiao poured tea while saying, "Captain Yan just said they’ll wrap up soon, then we'll have a brief meeting. The first round ends today. See? I even got the files ready early."

Everyone took a stack of documents and started reading. Qi Feng suddenly sniffed the air. "What’s that great smell?"

Shao Qiaoqiao handed him a paper cup, beaming. "It's the tea Professor Xia had delivered. Taiping Houkui tea? It smells fantastic once steeped. I already gave some to Captain Yan and Criminal Investigation Unit 2."

Xu Zhangying turned to Xia Qing with a soft smile. "When did you mention this? I didn’t even notice."

Xia Qing met his gaze. "I brought it up when I called home."

Shao Qiaoqiao giggled. "Who’d have thought Professor Xia, busy as he is, would be this considerate? Captain Fang was really touched earlier."

Song Yuli, accustomed to drinking tea at home, took a sip and relaxed his brows. "Taiping Houkui tea? But it tastes slightly different from what I’ve had before."

Quick-witted Yu Mei immediately guessed that anything Xia Qing provided—be it tea or alcohol—must be either rare or expensive. She smiled teasingly. "Professor Xia, don’t scare us with some outrageously expensive tea. None of us know tea—it’d be lost on us."

Xia Qing: "It’s nothing valuable."

Yeah. Definitely not cheap.

The entire conference room silently agreed while sipping the fragrant tea.

Though they couldn’t discern its quality, it was undeniably refreshing. Xu Zhangying took a sip, rubbed his temples, and eased the tension in his brow. Sensing Xia Qing’s gaze on him, he looked up and met those clear eyes. "What is it?"

Xia Qing said, "If you’re tired, why not head home? Your two colleagues already left."

Xu Zhangying flipped a page of the document and grinned. "I told them to go. I told them to contact our colleagues at the New Zealand branch to gather on-site information about Wang Tianxiao. That way, we can cut out her family and contact her directly."

Xia Qing: "Is that even legal?"

Xu Zhangying shrugged. "Nope."

Xia Qing nodded and returned to reading, leaving the rest of the office exchanging bewildered looks—*That’s it? No follow-up?*

Shao Qiaoqiao timidly raised her hand. "Officer Xu, would AGB New Zealand really help us reach Wang Tianxiao... off the books?"

Xu Zhangying waved a hand dismissively. "Of course they will. Don’t worry. If police could only investigate legally, how would we ever catch criminals? Besides, my reputation’s solid—people owe me favors, not the other way around."

Tan Song propped his chin on his hand and sighed. "Interpol sure is convenient. Just like in the movies—so cool."

Xu Zhangying: "We’re all just clocking in. Same as anyone. Working overseas just means more side-eye—Oh, got it."

As he spoke, Xu Zhangying’s phone chimed twice—a file from Benjamin. He swiped open his phone and quickly selected one to view.

"This doesn’t track," Xu Zhangying muttered after a silent moment of reading. "Last December, Zhao Lanyue transferred 50,000 yuan into Wang Tianxiao’s bank account. Then in January, an unknown account sent her 30,000 USD."

He looked up at Xia Qing. "Zhao Lanyue never cut ties with the Wang family. Zhao Xiuzhen’s crew is definitely shady."

Twenty minutes later, the once-spacious conference room was jammed with members of the Major Crime Unit and Criminal Investigation Unit 2. Yan Jianbai’s expression was grave as he spoke. "Currently, we have three victims—all murdered around February this year by two international criminal organizations and displayed domestically. The only domestic victim, Zhao Lanyue, dated a suspected organ trafficking suspect, 'A Feng,' eight years ago. Last December, she transferred 50,000 yuan to her cousin’s account, and her aunt concealed her visit to the art exhibition, along with their financial transactions. These are all the leads we have."

Mei Wenxuan, head of Criminal Investigation Unit 2, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and added solemnly, "We’ve got three angles: First, locate this 'A Feng.' Second, continue interrogating Zhao Xiuzhen to extract everything she knows about Zhao Lanyue. Third, keep monitoring the three suspects besides Zhao Xiuzhen. Currently, the likelihood of solving the case decreases in that order."

After the two captains swiftly assigned tasks, Yan Jianbai concluded sternly, "Remember—Exhibits 256 and 327 are still in the criminals’ possession. That means there are likely two more victims we know nothing about. The slower we progress, the higher the chance the criminals will move or destroy evidence. Keep your heads in the game."

"Yes!"

As the meeting adjourned, people filed out. Shao Qiaoqiao and the only male beta officer from Unit 2 quickly cleared the cups and files from the table. Xu Zhangying remained seated, deep in thought, hand on the desk. Zhao Yang tapped his shoulder with a file. "Hey, Sherlock, it’s pushing five. Aren’t you going home to sleep? Or you crashing at mine again?"

By then, the room was down to four or five people. Xia Qing lingered by the door, gaze fixed on Xu Zhangying, still in his seat.

Xu Zhangying didn't seem to hear Zhao Yang clearly at all. He stood up with the support of Zhao Yang's arm, his expression still grave. "Something’s not right here."

Xia Qing picked up the conversation, asking, "What seems off?"

Xu Zhangying shook his head. "I can't put my finger on it yet, but something just doesn’t add up. Why would Zhao Lanyue transfer money to Wang Tianxiao? What if Zhao Xiuzhen and her family really know nothing?"

Qi Feng yawned. "Boss, how could Zhao Xiuzhen know nothing? There are just too many coincidences in her family. She alone went to guard five exhibits for so long, her son and brother raped Zhao Lanyue, and her daughter's account received money from Zhao Lanyue. At worst, the whole family might have been involved in a sex trafficking ring involving Zhao Lanyue. At the very least, they must have known she was mixed up in something shady. But no matter how much they knew, they're definitely key to solving this case."

Xu Zhangying instinctively looked at Xia Qing. Their eyes met, and after a moment, Xia Qing shook his head slightly.

Xu Zhangying scrubbed at his eyes. "Alright, let’s get some sleep first. You local officers keep working hard on the case—I’ll play hooky as the consultant. Qiaoqiao, let me help you with that."

Shao Qiaoqiao, holding a stack of files up to her chin, quickly declined, flushed with embarrassment. "No, no, Officer Xu, you should go rest. This is our job."

A young, bookish-looking beta cop standing nearby smiled gently at him. Xu Zhangying laughed and walked over. "I'm a beta too—grunt work is my department as well."

Zhao Yang and Qi Feng couldn't stand hearing Xu Zhangying call himself a beta anymore and immediately jostled like overeager interns to help clean up.

Suddenly, Xu Zhangying noticed Xia Qing walking to the desk, crouching down to pick up two scattered sheets of paper from the floor, then approaching him and placing them on top of the files in his hands.

Xu Zhangying almost reflexively wanted to say, "Thanks, goody-two-shoes Xia Qing," but when he looked down at the photo now on top, his stomach dropped. "When was this sent?"

Seeing his expression change, Xia Qing immediately scrutinized the photo as well. Xu Zhangying quickly recognized it as one from Tan Song’s organ trafficking case files—an interior shot of the so-called "high-seas gambling vessel." The gaudy pleasure-cruise ballroom walls were adorned with dozens of heraldic banners, each bearing different emblems, likely representing various elite crime syndicates. At the center hung a pure black triangular flag embroidered with gold thread, displaying an abstract geometric pattern resembling a slightly open, circular eye.

Shao Qiaoqiao tilted her head. "This must be something Tan Song accidentally dropped. It’s numbered—probably an original document. Losing this would be a huge problem. I’ll let him know later."

Qi Feng, holding four thermoses in her hands, keenly picked up on Xu Zhangying’s tone and leaned in. "Boss, what’s wrong?"

Xu Zhangying stared intently at the photo, his face went granite. "I’ve seen this symbol before."

Xia Qing asked, "When?"

Xu Zhangying lifted his gaze to meet his. "Five years ago."

Five years ago, South America, Colombia.

The sound of fire alarms swept through the entire city. Every resident could see the flames raging on the northern mountainside in the night.

Shrieks of the dying filled the air. Xu Zhangying kicked open the wooden door, but before he could step inside, a burning beam crashed down in front of him. A steel grip hauled him backward—a local firefighter shouting in Spanish.

Through the doorway, Xu Zhangying saw a human torch rise, then collapse.

"There are still people inside! So many!" Xu Zhangying yelled in Spanish at the firefighter dragging him away.

"I know, I know," the fully geared firefighter gripped his arm tightly. "God knows it too."